Once The Earth Settled
by LostWolfGirl
Summary: Sequel to Enough with the Gravity Moving Already! Life after marriage for Quil and Claire told in vignettes spanning 10 years.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Once the Earth Settled**  
Published: 04-08-09, Updated: 10-14-09  
Chapters: 12

A/N: This is a sequel to Enough with Gravity Moving Already told in vignettes, by it was also the primer for all the other stories written after it so its it's not entirely Claire/Quil based.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Wouldn't Have it Any Other Way**

* * *

To tell you the truth Claire could have cared less what the wedding looked like as long as it was done and she was sealed to Quil forever. She would have happily worn his old sweats and a holey tee, but there was absolutely no way she could have convinced two extremely fashionable supernatural women or even Quil himself to agree to such blasphemy.

Almost immediately after Quil and Claire announced that they would be getting married in Avignon, Alice and Jasper returned from the hunt with newly golden eyes, and they were a frenzy with planning.

Honestly, Claire was more than touched by Alice's extremely generous offer to arrange and fund their wedding. She had only been travelling with her for two weeks, and her heart swelled at the kindness Alice was showing her. It was for this and only for this that Claire would have postponed the wedding for the two days Alice asked to make the arrangements.

Alice made a verbal list, a bit quickly, but Claire kept up. There was:

A church: chosen for the ambience since neither Quil nor Claire were Christians, or religious for that matter.

A photographer: an idea that once explained as a way to share the wedding with her family back home was like a breath of fresh air to Claire— who although determined, was terrified to face her mother when she returned a married woman.

A small dinner reception: which Claire found exceptionally foolish considering there were only six people attending and only half of those ate solids. When she pointed this out however, even Nessie glared at her, so she shut up immediately.

And finally the dress: the dress was considered by Nessie and Alice to be the most vital piece of the puzzle and it also happened to be the hardest and most time consuming of the tasks.

Claire was dragged, literally (piggyback on Alice), to Monaco—the closest place Alice trusted for shopping. Monte Carlo, which was like nothing Claire had ever seen in her life, could not be fully processed in the short moments she was given. So to Claire, Monte Carlo would forever remain a blur of shops she had always heard of but never once imagined owning like Chanel, Gucci and Prada. As well as a ton of shops that looked equally expensive but had funny names like Rykiel, Celine and Lanvin.

These stores, which Claire had long associated with luxury and class, were great theoretically—but after hours and hours of searching she realized that they didn't really appeal to her in practice. Alice agreed, shop after shop Alice would leave even more disheartened.

Valentino was their last stop and after an almost devastating strikeout in Chanel and Dior, where only an acceptable pair of shoes for Nessie and a necklace worth more than Claire's entire wardrobe were purchased, it seemed that all of Alice's hopes were riding on the love her favorite luxury retailer to get them through the draught.

"You know, in these uncertain times we live in, we can always be assured that Valentino will pull us through."

Alice's comment would have been hilarious in most situations: perhaps a movie with a caricature of a New York socialite for example, or possibly as sarcasm used in jest. This however, was not a laughing matter for Claire— who after hours of trying on a barrage of slips and cocktail dresses in varying shades of white and ivory, was more exhausted then she had been in years.

For an outsider it might have been difficult to decide whom among the three of them was more disappointed as they left Valentino empty handed. Yet anyone who knew the three women, all exceedingly beautiful in their own right, could see that the world had started to crash down around the usually exuberant pixie Alice. For what could be right in the world when Valentino failed to produce even one acceptable dress for a makeshift wedding?

The answer to their prayers was found where they least expected it: a thrift shop. No wait, Alice (once convinced that this was in fact _the dress)_ refused to call the small resale shop a thrift store, so for the  
purpose of her sanity, let us rephrase that.

The answer to their prayers was found where they least expected it: an antique shop.

It was hidden behind a rather impressive stack of old leather-bound and weather beaten French books on a rack of moth ridden clothes, and would not have been found if Nessie hadn't taken an unnatural liking to a gold brooch that clung to a granny sweater in the shop's window display.

Once the dress was unearthed by Claire however, it became quite apparent to her that the brooch was fate. Yes, the brooch was in fact the tacky golden path of fate, that led her directly to her wedding dress, and subsequently her wedding, because it seemed to Claire that the wedding might not take place for weeks unless Alice was satisfied with all aspects of ceremony (and she was quite right in her assessment).

It took a little time convincing Alice, but in the end, after Claire agreeing to move the ceremony to nightfall so the dress could be steamed and pressed, they left the dinky little store twenty Euro poorer and exponentially happier. Well except for Alice, the disappointment from years of brand loyalty can be hard to accept and for enthusiastic shoppers like Alice, may take years to recover.

Quil's attire was definitely easier to acquire, well not _easy_ per se, he was a massive sized man in all parts of the world, so his jacket needed to be custom made, but this however proved to be a painless task. An ancient and almost toothless tailor in town, after being thrown a stack of Euros and a dazzling vampire smile, was more than accommodating to their rush delivery demands.

So the wedding was set: a service just before nightfall in the Church of Saint Pierre, which Claire had painted on her first days in town. To Quil and Claire, this seemed a natural course of action, it was the largest church in town, and therefore was probably the go-to place for all of the town residents wedding and baptismal needs.

They were quite wrong.

In fact the Church of Saint Pierre, built in 1356 with its Gothic-style façade and Renaissance carved wooden doors, had not housed a wedding in over three hundred years, and it took a rather crafty vampire, her mood altering husband and a rather large donation to acquire it at all.

Four hours before the service, Quil and Claire who could not stop staring at each other in awed admiration, were separated. Claire was brought to the church and led to small room now completely covered in products of every kind, so that it no longer resembled a rectory but a Vidal Sassoon. After she was literally scrubbed down with vanilla body salt that tingled and moisturized with a satiny oil that smell like oranges and left her skin with a pearlescent glow, she was dropped in a chair.

There were three women present for this preparation, Nessie of course who sat thoughtfully to the side, trying not to incur Alice's wrath and a woman from town named Adele, who worked on giving Claire the perfect manicure and pedicure, as Claire demanded she get married barefoot like the Quileute women before her. And what else would she get for the occasion but a French-tip?

An hour before the ceremony was set to start two new faces appeared that Claire did not expect at all, and she was more than relieved to see them. Alice was getting increasingly more surly with her hair that would not comply with the complicated knotted updo Alice was attempting.

"Oh my god! What are you guys doing here?" Claire screamed. Bella wore a simple blue dress and silver heels and Esme was clad in a sophisticated sage two piece reminiscent of Jackie O.

They were both stunning, making Claire feel even more insecure as she sat surrounded by sparkly beauties on the one day she was supposed to outshine every woman in the room. In her defense it wasn't a fair competition when you were in a room filled with mystical creatures.

"We needed an excuse to get out of Italy. Oh Claire, you look so great," Bella squealed, placing a very cold and tentative kiss on Claire's cheek, watching from the corner of her eye, making sure she was ready if Alice decided to attack her for smudging Claire's makeup.

" _Great_? Bella, we aren't settling for _great,_ " Alice steamed, pulling at Claire's hair a little too harshly. Claire hissed and Alice dropped it immediately, stepping back and putting her face in her tiny hands. Poor Alice had had a hard week, first the damaging disappointment of her lifelong friend, Valentino, then the crushing defeat of having to agree to a hand me down 50's cocktail dress and now this—this impossibly long and bone straight hair that just would not give her a break.

"Well, is there any way we could help?" Esme asked timidly.

"Did you bring them?" Alice asked from behind her hands.

"Yes," Bella said exasperatedly, walking forward with a bundle of white cloth. "It's old and borrowed," she said smiling as she dropped the little pack in Claire's hands.

"And this is new and blue," Esme said winking as she placed a package the size of a shoebox but thinner in Claire's lap. Curious about the wink Esme gave her, she opened that one first, revealing an extremely revealing pair of baby blue underwear and a matching bra. Claire stuttered and smiled, trying not to blush in front of them, she nodded and whispered her thanks, quickly turning to the other package.

She unfolded the white material smiling although she was thoroughly confused as she looked down at the delicate yet intricate woven silver. It was gorgeous, but she wasn't exactly sure where she would wear it. It was much too small to be a necklace and too big for a bracelet and it seemed to have some sort of ring attached to it.

"It's an anklet, women in Indian wear them when they get married and since you're going barefoot—"

"It's perfect thank you," Claire cut her off with a hug, she was cold but comforting.

"Forty minutes!" Alice screamed as Esme kneeled in front of Claire, brushing the bottom of her foot with her hand, gently sliding the toe-ring on her second toe and then latching the cold silver clasp around her ankle.

"Why can't you just leave her hair down. I think it's rather beautiful," a voice sounded from the door and Claire turned to see the beautiful Tia whom she became friends with at Nessie's bachelorette bash. Claire smiled brightly, feeling a warm swelling in her heart. She hadn't let herself think about the fact that none of her loved ones were going to be at her wedding, but as more and more of her vampire cohorts dropped in, she felt a sweet peace wash over her.

"Tia! Oh, Tia! This is just so, wow—" Claire reeled jumping out of her seat and straight into the arms of the red eyed vampire, something she had been taught not to do since she was knee high.

"I called everyone that knows you or Quil, and even some who don't," Renesme said giggling and Claire cried. For the first time in a long time she cried for joy, so touched by their kindness she was speechless. Alice was not.

"Do not cry! You'll ruin the makeup, and if we can't have the hair, we'll at least have the face," Alice sighed, running a comb through Claire's hair, finally resigned to leaving it natural, letting it cascade down her face and back.

Although, Alice was disappointed beyond words at the simplicity of it all, the overall effect, once finished by the dress, was breathtaking. Claire stood before them, now completely outfitted, the picture of timeless beauty.

Her extremely long hair was shiny, black and straight, while her russet brown skin shimmered—a poster for exotic beauty that juxtaposed her white vintage 50s,, cocktail dress so flawlessly it seemed to be meant for her. She was topped off by a bouquet of wild flowers picked by Adele and wrapped in a simple white ribbon.

With just five minutes to go, Claire stood alone with the older French woman Adele, waiting for the signal to walk. They left the ceremony simple, Quil waiting at the altar as she walked alone to his side.

She hadn't been allowed a moment to examine the church before, and now that she was walking through, the setting sun casting beautiful multicolored lights through the stain glass windows she looked only at him.

She didn't look up to see the elaborate gothic arches she walked under, or the ornate wood carving panels to her right and left, her eyes were glued to Quil. She tried to pace her steps but she couldn't help it, the need to be by his side was overwhelming and she all but skipped the last twenty paces. He pulled her to him, kissing her softly on the lips, before a cough brought them out of their daze.

Claire had not even noticed the small man at the head of the aisle, wearing long white robes that were turning pink from the light through the stained glass window pane directly behind him. They parted and Quil listened patiently, trying not to cringe at every intake of breath.

The church was filled with vampires, fifteen and a half by his count: The Cullens- Esme, Carlisle, Edward, Bella, Jasper and Alice. The Denalis- Kate, Garrett, Tanya, Nahuel (who only half smelled), Carmen, Eleazer and assorted members of the new vampire council- Tia, Benjamin and even the Dracula twins, who although they would never admit it, were just as fond of the pack as the pack was of them.

If you had told Quil that he would marry Claire in a church half way across the world surrounded by vampires, he wouldn't have believed you, shit he might have even laughed at you, but right now, looking down at her, the world's most beautiful being, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Their vows were the pre-written kind, for which they were both grateful, because even being so very much in love neither of them were good with words.

It seemed like an eternity of rambling from the French priest before Quil was finally able to lift her up and kiss her again.

It was not a passionate kiss, it was soft and gentle and beautiful like a promise, before turning her around to face the crowd for the first time as Mrs. Quil Ateara.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Once the Earth Settled**

* * *

Quil and Claire's honeymoon was not planned in advance so there was no time limit to their Portuguese getaway.

They were living in a Cullen owned home that was filled to the brim with enough food and cash to survive the apocalypse. They were on their second month, although if you asked either Quil or Claire their answers would range from three weeks to one month. They did not take the time to count, their nights and days often melded together in a tangle limbs and sweaty torsos.

Quil was in heaven, a life of no responsibilities or schedules, free to lounge on the beaches of the Estoril Coast, eat gourmet foods, learn how to paint from Claire (something he was terribly bad at but enjoyed all the same) and have mind-blowing sex at least twice a day, although neither of them was counting. If they had been counting they would have discovered that they had in fact made love more time in those two months than most married couples have in three years.

It was one of these days, a Tuesday or Thursday possibly, that Claire and Quil lie silent on a deserted beach. It was getting cooler, a sign that it was time they should head back, but neither of them felt compelled to mention it, they just snuggled closer trying to plan the day's events.

In the last two months they had:

Visited countless cathedrals.

Taken a class in pottery.

Enjoyed a scenic train route over to Spain for some sightseeing.

Attended workshops to learn how to dance the Fandango.

Shopped in boutiques with names they couldn't pronounce.

Restaurant hopped all along the coast.

Weekended in Morocco which is surprisingly closer to Portugal than either of them were previously aware.

Checked out Algeria on a tour group. Neither of them knew anything about Algeria previously, but with the constant babble of their British tour-guide they were both now able to recite a plethora of Algeria facts that could impress just about anyone.

Studied under a master chef to learn how to make traditional Portuguese meals such as Alheira, caldo verde, and arroze de mariscos.

and

Partied in some of the hottest European nightclubs.

They were running out of legitimate reasons as to why they continued to stay away from the real world. It was Claire who spoke reason first, although it was almost physically painful to do so, Quil's rock hard body reminding her of all the things she would be losing once they returned to La Push. She did miss her mother and the pack though, a conundrum she'd never thought she'd have to face: exotic paradise for two or dreary La Push with all of her loved ones.

"So, I guess we have to get going soon," she said dusting sand off her leg.

"We do?" Quil asked using his huge hand to help her remove the pesky wet sand, which had gotten there after they took a foray into exhibitionism and gotten busy on the sand.

"Yeah, we can't exactly live here forever. You've got the pack and I've got college or something," she trailed. She hadn't actually applied to schools yet, something she had planned to do so she could start the spring semester in January. There weren't many reputable school within driving distance of LaPush, a huge contributing factor as to why she had been dreading this discussion. Once they returned she couldn't put it off much longer.

"Okay," he folded easily, there were still many things he needed to settle at home.

Quil was not an observant man, generally, but when it came to Claire he missed nothing, so he knew she was skirting around the issue of school, and he also knew the reasons why. He would not stand for her not completing her education whatever the reason, but then with sixty something odd days away from each other he was also painfully aware of his lack of self control when it came to Claire. Even if he could convince her to attend school farther away he knew he would end up running to her by the end of the week, he was just that addicted to her. That realization forced him to seek outside counsel and who better to ask than a hundred plus year old empath? I mean if you had one lying around why not?

Quil called Jasper with a jittery nervousness which then made him wonder if Jasper was capable of feeling through the phone. He was not, but years of human interaction made it painfully clear to Jasper that Quil was conflicted. The vampire didn't quite understand the problem. The conversation, while comical was not all that helpful. Jasper's views on pack (or in his case coven) responsibilities were extremely precarious, and his advice to Quil could be summed up as "fuck em all, follow your girl", and so that was the plan. He wouldn't have put it so harshly, but both Jared and Paul had bowed out and now it was his turn, at least for the time being.

He had never been an amazing student, but he was going wherever she was going, and thanks to a very generous offer of forged papers and donations by Edward, the two of them were set to attend Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, a small private liberal arts school with a booming and progressive art department that Claire had casually mentioned more than once.

What was he going to study? He still had no clue, but they had special housing for married students and it was still in the state which gave him a reasonable distance to run home if there was trouble, a compromise he had not yet discussed with Sam or Claire. He thought it better not to argue on the last days of their honeymoon. So they ended up spending that day, a Thursday they discovered near the end as the booked their flights, packing their bags.

They had collected quite a lot of luggage over the last months. The two of them had never seen such a large amount money in their life. They had both tried to refuse when it was presented to them by Esme and Carlisle after their wedding, but once it was in their hands it was hard to give back. Neither of them had ever seen that sum of money in their lives. After putting some aside for savings Quil let Claire splurge. Claire especially went crazy with new European styles and gifts for every member of the pack and their spouses and children, including Anna's newly born triplets.

During the process of packing, Claire took extra care in handling each present, packing them in two separate pieces of luggage she had recently purchased with the presents in mind. Quil on the other hand took special care packing Claire's new endless line of lingerie, a fetish ignited on their wedding night when Quil ripped off her dress to reveal a tiny set of blue lace, so small that it could scarcely be called underwear but which turned him on more than anything had before.

They were set to leave in the morning, first to Italy for a two day farewell to the Cullens who had been more generous than either of them could have ever imagined and finally home to Washington. When they arrived at the Cullen's small but lavish house they were met with a flurry of excitement, both for the arrival of Seth the day previous and the impending birth of Nessie's first child.

Having not seen Seth for months Claire's excitement was at such a fever pitch she found it difficult to keep her hands off of him, which Quil tried hard not to growl at, slipping only once when Claire kissed his cheeks in a very Parisian manner. Seth was the first home comfort other than Quil that Claire had experienced in six months of European bliss, and he made her realize even more clearly how much she missed her home. He was bigger than she remembered, and also sadder. He was always like a bundle warm-fluffiness but the departure of Jessie, his girlfriend of five years, was a blow he was not handling well.

He still smiled, filling them in on all of the latest La Push news which had become much juicier now that there was a new batch of wolves on the scene—but there was a spark missing in him, something Claire could see Edward noticed too.

Quil and Claire had actually seen Jake and Nessie just weeks before when the foursome decided to meet in the middle and explore Spain, so they were pleasantly shocked to see the obvious signs of Nessie's pregnancy. Their time in Spain had been memorable. Quil was ecstatic to finally use the Spanish he learned in school; ordering and asking for directions at every turn. It wasn't often that seemingly useless information you learn in high school becomes relevant in your everyday life so Nessie didn't interfere, stepping aside and allowing Quil to navigate the journey although she was fluent in all of the modern romance languages, including Romanian, which although not terribly useful in her day to day communication was a very beautiful language in general.

Nessie could not have been more than one month pregnant but being as she was not a normal human, Claire didn't question the fact that she was already showing as much as Kim was in her fourth month. Seth seemed to know more about the subject of mystical creature procreation and didn't seem fazed by it at all. He had come to Italy by the demands of Sam and Leah, now on speaking terms, in an attempt to snap him out of the fog he was living in. He was visiting for two weeks, and Claire and Quil both prayed this would work, but as they said their goodbyes, Seth unenthusiastically waving to their car as they drove off, they were both doubting the efficacy of this plan.

The flight was first class, something they were sure they would never be able to do again. They also became very excited members of the mile high club, an opportunity they both truly hoped would present itself again.

BUt as they neared home they started to worry. Both of them had been too scared to call their parents to inform them of their picture book European elopement. Who wanted to ruin a honeymoon with screaming parents?

Lana, Claire's beautiful older sister who had discovered a new love for academia, was picking them up from the airport, back home for her Thanksgiving break. Lana had always been… shall we say, sexually vivacious? So Claire was pleasantly shocked to see her new improved older sister complete with a messy ponytail, tattered jeans, a blazer and an international socialist organization t-shirt.

People changed, Lana was walking and intellectually talking proof of that—she was even happy for them when they showed her the ring, purchased post nuptial in a tiny jewelry shop in Casablanca. So they were hoping time had changed all views and opinions, because their first stop in La Push was the Young/Uley house, where Emily and Claire's mother Joanna were waiting for their arrival. It was meant to be a welcome home celebration but with the news they were about to drop they didn't think anyone would be much in the mood for partying.

Claire had been forbidden by her mother to be married before she finished college, Joanna herself had gotten pregnant and shotgun married before she even finished high school. They both promised, Quil and Claire, a week before her departure that they would wait until after her graduation.

Claire's father, who was generally not a big fan of Quil, might finally get some moral support from his ex-wife. Yes, a promise is a promise and Claire and Quil had broken their promise with so much gusto they might as well have taken a sledgehammer to it. They even learned how to dance the fandango on it, forgetting it completely until the second week of their honeymoon when Claire remembered her weekly phone call home was about three weeks late.

The first person they saw when they arrived was Brady, rocking baby Annabelle in the doorway humming as they came by. She was almost a year now, her beautiful Kim-like long lashes fluttering in the warm breeze as Claire and Quil walked up the driveway. Claire smiled, it was a beautiful sight, something that probably meant much more to her than anyone else, as she had once been held by a giant like him, loved so thoroughly no harm could penetrate his warm barrier.

"Hey, Brady," she whispered giving Annabelle Cameron the lightest of kisses on her tanned little forehead and rubbing his thick bicep as she passed.

"Welcome back," he whispered his eyes not straying from his infant imprint for more than a second.

"Thanks," Quil said gently squeezing Claire's hand as they prepared for the worst. Kim ran to them, her arms out in full hug mode, grabbing Claire and as much of Quil as she could.

"I missed you my Claire-bear!" She screamed kissing them both, much to Jared chagrin. He stood behind her with his older daughter Amber, now eight, slung on his back.

"CLAIRE! QUIL!" She shrieked hopping up and down so that her father effectually became a mule.

"Oh gosh, Amber! It's only been six months and look at how big you've gotten?" Claire exclaimed pulling her off of Jared the mule and hugging her to her chest.

"Yeah, I'm big and strong, just like Ethan and I'm gunna be a wolf too," she said matter-of-factly.

"Well, wouldn't that be nice," Quil said patting her head and looking over to Jared. They shared a very manly nod greeting which was supposed to read, 'I've missed you a bunch, it's great to see you!'

"And where is Ethan?" Claire asked looking around for the four newest pack members. Claire had played babysitter to all the youngest wolfpack kids them growing up; it the first bit of pocket-money she ever earned. Mark and Taylor had never been a problem, and neither was Ethan really, but David, David was the handful. She was excited to see how wolfiness was suiting them.

"He's in the woods camping he—" Amber was about to go into a fully fledged tale of how Ethan's girlfriend Trisha (Paul and Rachel's daughter) had been imprinted on my his best friend David Uley and therefore he was left heartbroken and alone, camping out in Quil's house and occasionally the woods avoiding society like a love-sick hermit, but Kim stopped her. Amber was quite the story weaver and Kim wasn't really thrilled to hear the tale again as it had caused her the friendship of her fellow wolf-girls.

Usually an imprint meant an instant couple and while that would have devastated her son Ethan it would have been preferable to the drama that preceeded. Trisha wouldn't let her Ethan go and he wasn't stepping back, which broke the packs pact.

"He's not welcome here anymore. This is the first time we've been in this house since… well, a while," Kim whispered, sighing loudly and extricating Amber from around Claire's waist.

"We just wanted to see you, but we should be going," she said kissing Claire's cheeks and turning to the door. Claire was speechless. She gave Kim a huge package of gifts for her family and waved as they left.

How could everything have turned out so fucked up over one imprint? How could the drama over this one imprint last so long? Watching Jared slink out of the house, avoiding Paul's angry eyes Quil wanted to scream at them to come to their senses. They had been through hell together several times over, but he knew it wasn't his place.

"Quil, Claire," Helen smiled brightly, using her free arm that wasn't holding her adorable son to pull Collin to her side.

"It's good to see you two," Helen said warmly, she hadn't realized how much she missed Claire until she saw her. She was really lonely lately, afraid to hang out with any of the wolf girls too much for fear that they would think she was taking sides in this battle of the OG wolf Girls.

"You too, Helen. Oh I missed you guys," Claire exclaimed pulling Helen into a hug. Helen was not a very physical person, so she was surprised to discover the hug was exactly what she needed at the moment, Claire's untainted affections coursing through her every move.

"Oh, mi Chica Bonita!" Leticia's borderline comical accent rang through the room and Helen bowed out allowing the crowd equal opportunity to embrace the prodigal son and daughter, who from the looks of the band on Claire's finger were now married. Helen was the first and only of the crowd to notice it, they were all too wrapped up in the exotic gifts Claire passed out and Quil tale of a horse sized wolf swimming the Atlantic.

Joanna didn't detach herself from Claire long enough for them to break the news from a safe distance, after they presented her with a beautiful handmade sapphire colored dress from Morocco they spit it out.

"We got married on September 9th," Quil said looking Claire's mom straight in the eye.

"We got married in Avignon, France. Mom it was so beautiful and perfect and—"

"You got married without me?" That was not the response Claire had expected to hear. She was prepared for a long list of complaints and claims but not being there was not one of them.

"Well, we have this," Claire said rummaging through the gift luggage to find one of the professional photo albums they had received a week after the ceremony. She handed it to Joanna, who was slumped in defeat at the kitchen table, Emily patting her back.

"You ran away and eloped, Claire? That's just not like you," Emily said eyeing her. Trisha was eyeing her too, a new sparkle of hope in her eye that Quil did not miss. He was starting to wish they were somewhere private, he didn't want to be the one responsible for filling any of the wolf-kids with ideas of European elopement.

Joanna flipped through the album roughly, huffing and tutting, wiping her eyes every now and then before finally speaking.

"You got married in a church?" Again, not a question Claire was prepared for.

"Yeah, a cathedral actually," she said scooting closer to Quil.

"No papers from the government, then it doesn't count," Joanna said standing, placing the album roughly on the table and heading out the kitchen. Quil and Claire and all the other members of the pack and extended family watched her leave, both relieved and confused.

Claire followed, urging Quil to stay put as she walked out of the Uley house. As passing she finally caught sight of one of the newest wolves. David sat despondent and alone on the front steps. Claire couldn't help but stop for a second, rubbing his now closely shaved head and giving him a tiny kiss on the cheek.

"Mom," Claire called as she reached the driveway. Joanna sat with one foot in her car, wrapped in a shawl and pointedly looking out onto the abandoned road. Throughout her life Claire had always saw her mother as a big sister, but looking down at her now, Claire finally felt like the daughter and a bad one at that.

"I'm sorry if I disappointed you, I know you wanted us to wait, but—"

"I'm not disappointed."

"Then what's wrong mom, I know this isn't what you wanted for me, but I'm happy. I'm so happy I could burst, mom," Claire declared plopping down in the passenger seat beside her.

"Fine. I'm disappointed. I knew you were going to marry him. I knew you were going to marry him when you were five and you proclaimed that Quil was the best man in the world, but I just always thought," she stopped there, looking down at Claire then looking back at the road.

"What mom?" Claire prodded, her voice pleading. She hadn't seen her mother so upset since her parents divorce.

"That I'd be there. You're my baby, you and Lana are my biggest and best accomplishments. I know I wasn't the best mother—"

"Mom you were great," Claire interrupted, but Jo brushed it off.

"It's okay, you know that maternal business was always Emily's thing, I knew I would be a shitty mom. I wanted to be a flight attendant, I wanted to travel the world but once I had you, you two were everything…and now you're are growing so fast. Lana's in love with some revolutionary, and my baby's married. I'm fourty years old, I'm going to be a grandma sooner than later and I didn't even get to be there on one of the most important days of your life."

"I'm sorry mom," Claire didn't really know what to say, sorry didn't seem like enough right now.

"You're doing it again."

"What?" There was no way Claire could respond to that, because well, she had no idea what she was talking about.

"You two are going to have another ceremony here with your family, damnit! I deserve at least that much!"

"Okay," Claire said archly, looking around for support, the lawn was empty.

"When you finish school you two are coming back to town and getting married the Makah way or you'll both have hell to pay."

Claire smiled, she would marry Quil ten times if that made her mother happy, but she wasn't sure about school now though. She had felt so restricted by the imprint before, feeling guilty for leaving Quil for any period of time, but the cage of imprinting was now her home too. She knew she couldn't bare four years of being away from Quil.

"Okay, sure… but I don't know about school right now I—"

"I've got it covered," Quil said squeezing in the back of Jo's ancient toyota.

"We're going to school in Walla Walla in January. I haven't told the pack yet, but we got a house set up and we're enrolled, tuition is all paid up for the first two years."

"WE?" Claire practically screamed.

"Yeah, Edward did it really," Quil said nervously. He didn't really want to have their first argument as husband and wife with Joanna present. Claire almost flew over the seat, kissing Quil with such ferocity her mother blushed.

"So I guess that you're cool with it?"

"Oh my god, yes. But what about the pack?" She asked selfishly praying he was a hundred percent serious about going with her.

"I'm gunna tell Sam tonight, I think—"

"You should tell Embry then," Called from the porch just a few feet away.

"I'm stepping down, it's the right time and Embry's my second so he's taking over," Sam said with a tinge of sadness. He loved his job, but he also loved his wife more, and the thought of living in the world after she was gone was too much for him.

"Wow!" Proof once more that Quil and Claire were meant for each other they said it at the same time.

"Yeah, but they'll be fine without you man. We got four new wolves in town… six soon since Jordan, Anna and Michael are moving back to La Push. Did you hear Taylor, he imprinted on their baby girl?"

"It's a baby imprinting frenzy," Claire said without any sarcasm.

"Yeah, but I did it first," Quil said chuckling. Claire smiled so wide it made his heart burst with joy, the world was wonderful. The earth had settled and it was perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 4: Wifey and Stud Muffin**

* * *

The papers were, signed, stamped and filed, so Claire went to the first place that came to mind, her third home: her sorority house.

It was a big blue house on the other side of campus, housing about twenty-five of the fifty-three lovely girls she had learned to love as sisters. She joined as a farce, when Quil decided (missing the company of men and being encouraged by a friend in his Spanish class), to join a Frat. He ended up being a half-assed member of the Omega Chi house, but Claire, well Claire was a proud sorority girl for life; it was in her opinion one of the best decisions she ever made.

The Sigma Delta Iota girls, known as Sigies, were not your typical sorority girls and Claire, not your average twenty year old sophomore, fit right in. Every sorority has a reputation and well, the Sigies had many: The pot-heads, the party girls, the all-girls frat, the university security car thieves… the list went on and on.

"Hey Wifey!" Every girl in the Sigi house got a nickname and Claire, the only married sister, got the gleaming title of Wifey, which she wore proudly.

"Hey Jamaica," Claire called to Lynette, knighted Jamaica after a rousing night of drinking way too much Red Stripe and adopting a Jamaican accent before passing out on the campus quad.

"Uh-oh, Wifey's got the look!" Jamaica called, causing four other sisters who were in the middle of a heated discussion on the merits of making their own moonshine, to run into the informal sitting room, known by the Sigies as 'the opium den'.

Pastel, Longhorn, Hip-hop and Text holding a rather large beer, joined Jamaica on the couch, tiny little Hip-hop sitting on Jamaica's lap so that the five of them made a wall, watching Claire anxiously as she took a seat across from them.

"What's happening?" Hip-hop asked almost bouncing out of her seat: Jamaica's lap.

"Nothing. I changed my major today," Claire said casually.

"Oh, man! Now I owe Popo 20 bucks. Thanks Wifey," Text sighed, handing her beer to Pastel (not actually wearing pastels today) and pulling out her cell phone; starting what was sure to be a hilarious text message, for which she was famous.

"Again Claire!" Longhorn (her actual last name) shook her head in disappointment.

Claire had changed her major three times since the beginning of her sophomore year and today, with her old advisor's signature, she was now an official psychology major with a minor in studio art.

"Yeah, again. Come on guys. You're supposed to be supporting me, I've finally found my calling," Claire said looking around for older sisters for moral support.

Jamaica, Text, Longhorn, Hip-hop and Pastel were five of her nine sophomore pledge sisters, and although she loved them dearly and they her—she was more likely to get some congratulations from older girls, who had experienced the major-hopping blues. Claire was out of luck, most of her older sisters were currently on a search for an old porcelain tub to put in their basement. For while the sophomore Sigies were not too sure about the safety of moonshine made in their basement out of things they stole from the cafeteria, their junior and senior sisters were on a mission and nothing could stop them.

"You said that about Sociology and digital design," Hip-hop said grabbing the beer from Pastel and taking a long chug.

"And Sculpture!" Longhorn added.

"What does Hubby have to say about this?" Hip-hop asked from the floor where she was now rolling a signature Sigi strawberry deluxe-size joint.

Claire smiled, when she lit it up and handed it to her for the inaugural toke. The colorful girls of Sigma Delta Iota, who were strong supporters of living your life to the fullest and came in many shapes, sizes and colors, had many varying activities—Hip-hop and Pastel happened to be of the Neo-hippie pot smoking variety.

"She hasn't told him, obviously," Jamaica said sagely. Claire held the smoke in and rolled her eyes; avoiding the question. According to her cellphone Quil would be out of his afternoon Latin American History class in five minutes, which meant he would be on his way here, where she usually hung out on Tuesday afternoons.

"He's not going to be mad," Claire said with a note of uncertainty.

"So then why didn't you tell him a week ago when you decided you were gunna change it," Pastel asked, her milky chocolate hands raised in a gesture that clearly read 'Pastel one, Wifey zero'.

"He's not going to be mad!" Claire insisted, passing the joint to the next in line.

"No, he's probably not. She's not worried he's going to be mad, she's worried he'll be disappointed," Jamaica raised her eyebrow taking a toke.

"You think he's going to be disappointed?" Claire asked with wide eyes. Jamaica had not expected the sad pouty Claire lips so she quickly changed the subject, not really wanting to hurt Wifey's feelings.

"Naw, just fucking with you. So Toga Bash tonight at the Omega Chi's, meaning you're definitely in right?"

"Toga Bash?" Although Quil was an official Omega Chi he rarely attended functions, studying way more than any one wolf should and spending every night in bed with Claire, which she was not complaining about. Claire's phone rang then, and she held it, staring at it as it played an obnoxious tune that made Text cringe in distaste.

"Oh god! Answer the fucking phone," Text said coughing on smoke.

"Hello," Claire said questioningly.

"Hey babe, I gotta go to the Omega toga thing tonight or they're gunna kill me. I missed the last four functions. You up for it?" Quil asked, walking across campus heading towards Claire's sweet scent.

"Yeah, but I'm not wearing a toga this time. I will not ruin another set of sheets," Claire announced, glaring at Hip-hop who was now giggling hysterically rolling in a ball at the end of the couch.

The infamous glass bong explosion at the last toga bash, which ruined a perfectly cute pair of pink sheets and gave Claire a small but permanent scar on her right elbow, was still a sore subject for Claire. To her dismay the story was now told to all incoming Sigies with the same reverence as the tales of the spirit warriors she heard so many times as a child. Claire still didn't find it funny.

"I'll swing by the Omega house and steal someone's sheets from the laundry room." Quil was smiling as he said this, causing Claire's heart to speed. She didn't have to see him to know how stunning his wife smile would be.

"Aww, how sweet he's stealing sheets for her," Longhorn sighed, now completely stoned and lying across Claire's lap on the loveseat. Quil laughed, saying his goodbyes as the house came into view.

The Sigma Delta Iota house, which was nestled away on the corner of a small lane was surprisingly silent. It was the middle of a school day, but Quil was still surprised, having become accustomed to constant flood of loud screams and laughter; most Sigies avoided classes like the plague.

"Stud-muffin's here!" Text called from the floor, the first to notice Quil's large form as he entered the house without knocking. He was one of the only regular male installments at the Sigma Delta Iota house—Sigies quickly grew tired of men, and three of them didn't like men at all.

"Hey ladies," Quil called, waving to Text and Hip-hop who were currently lounging on the floor, blowing a kiss to Jamaica and then saluting Pastel in full military fashion. Pastel's was currently doing a handstand, something she insisted increased her buzz—a scientific fact that was caused by the increase blood flow to the brain. Quil always saluted Pastel, it was their routine, she was a die-hard feminist who constantly critiqued his chauvinist tendencies, but he still adored her.

When he got to Longhorn he picked her up easily, slinging her over his shoulder, giving Claire a quick peck on the lips before he swung the girl in circles. Longhorn was the youngest Sigi, actually she was probably the youngest sophomore in America, having graduated from high school at the ripe old age of fifteen. Although she was academically the best Sigi in over twenty-nine years, the tiny teen still knew how to party. This was something that really disturbed Quil, who although he looked only a few years older, was literally old enough to be her father. He spent most of his time at parties cock-blocking the young Miss Longhorn, but she still adored him, like an annoying older brother.

"So it seems Mrs. Ateara has an announcement," Pastel said grandly, her head was still glued to the floor. Text, Pastel's roommate and fellow feminist, sat next to her; holding the joint to her mouth so she could smoke again.

"Not right now, I don't. It's time for my afternoon delight right babe?!" Wifey squealed, jumping on Quil's back as he put Longhorn down. She pointed to the door as if to say 'charge', and he complied shouting his goodbyes and trying to run at human speed back to their tiny campus owned house just down the road.

"What announcement?" Quil inquired, closing the wooden door to their house and ripping off her shirt as if it were routine.

"Quil. Later, okay?" Claire made a strategic distraction, unclipping her bra and tossing it to the floor. That shut him up quickly, his mouth going directly to her breast, leaving open-mouth kisses on them as he carried her to the bed.

Unlike what books and articles about marriage suggested, their lovemaking had become more frequent and fervent as their time as a married couple continued. Claire's demands became so often in fact that Quil, a very responsible student, had to make a schedule for them: Before breakfast, after dinner and after lunch when their schedules permitted it. The need for a schedule presented itself when Claire's grades began slipping, missing classes because she was in the middle of a sweaty workout.

"Oh shit!" Claire screamed, grabbing Quil's long hair and gently tugging. They hadn't made it to the bed, Claire was propped against the kitchen counter, Quil kneeling in front of her, his head between her legs.

When she clenched and writhed and released from his tongue he sprang up penetrating her before she had a chance to relax. She lifted herself off of the counter, using his shoulders as a support beam and wrapping her legs around his waist. She liked this position, and he liked the sounds it elicited from her.

He walked with her, settling on the bed so that she was straddled, riding him fully. They were marathon lovers, sex taking hours of their day, but as they both had no more classes in their schedule they settle in for the long haul.

RING, RING! RING, RING! RING, RING!

They attempted to ignore it, but they also knew their friends were smarter than to call in the middle of the day, which they reserved for sex and food. Claire grabbed the phone, still riding him as he kneaded her ass enthusiastically.

"Quil man! Get the fuck over here, now!" Greg Brighton's loud baritone voice rang through the phone line and Claire slid off of him, slamming her head against the mattress and passing Quil the phone.

"I'm in the middle of something man," Quil said pinning Claire to the bed and entering her again. He wasn't letting anyone ruin their fun.

"Get your dick out of Claire and get your ass over here! You have prep duty cuz you missed the last FIVE events," Brighton was Omega's president and a giant douche!

"I'll be there in ten," Quil whined, flipping the phone closed and turning their marathon into a quickie. Twenty minutes later Quil was at the omega house cleaning up big-gulps, rearranging empty bottles of liquor and trying to figure out whose half deflated cheerleader blow-up doll was lying soaking wet in the shower.

It took Quil, Caleb, Ryan and three freshman pledges Quil couldn't name, four hours to clean the house, and when the rest of the brothers arrived with the supplies it another two hours before everything was prepared. Quil grabbed two different colored sheet out of the dryer and dashed to the Sigi house where Claire would be pre-gaming with her sisters for the Ides of March bash.

"Periwinkle blue or off-white?" Quil asked holding the sheets out for her to examine.

"Blue. Thanks lover boy," Claire said kissing him sweetly; the entire room of girls gushing and sighing loudly.

"Real mature guys," Claire said loudly, pulling Quil out of the Opium den and into the bathroom. She stripped quickly, revealing a very provocative pair of lacy undies. He instinctively pulled her to him and she giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Down boy," she smacked, pulling the blue sheet out of his hand and attempting to wrap it around herself to fashion a toga. It's an art form really, making a perfect toga out of a twin sized sheet. It was the only art form Quil was much better at, and while fondling her freely Quil wrapped her snugly, making sure there was no way she could slip out.

"You look hot," Quil said, tugging at the back of her sheet trying to cover as much of her copper legs as possible.

The Omega Chi house was hopping by the time they arrived, boiling hot because of the hundred or so students crammed inside.

"Look who finally showed his pretty little face," Michael Riley called, pulling Quil to his side. Claire started to panic, she still hadn't mentioned changing her major to Quil and as Riley was her TA he was bound to spill. He didn't even give her time to steer the discussion away, "So Claire-bear's gone and changed the major again. You guys going to be here on the five year plan or what?"

"What?" Quil did a double take. Why was he always the last to know?

"Surprise. I changed my major today," Claire said in mock excitement as Pastel, Longhorn and their newest Sigi pledge Anjali joined them. With a name like Anjali there was no need for a nickname; she was an exchange student from India and that name could not be topped.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Quil demanded, she always confided in her sisters weeks before she was forced to tell him about the major decisions in her life.

"Since when does she have to tell you everything," Pastel butt-in, but Longhorn pulled the drunk girl away, steering her towards the keg. The young genius realized was the designated sober sister for the night. Anjali stood glued in place watching the interaction like it was a Bollywood drama.

"Quil, don't give me that look. I've finally decided what I want to do with my life so be happy for me damnit," Claire stomped her foot childishly and he lost his resolve. She was so darn cute when she did that.

"You're so pussy whipped!" Riley said smacking his arm.

"At least I'm getting some pussy," Quil shot back, just as a drunk Pastel pushed her way back towards them.

"Did yooou just call Wifey a pussy?" Pastel slurred, and Claire was just about to calm her when her cellphone, set on vibrate and hiding in her bra, started to shake her. She pulled it out and looked at the name. It was Emily, Claire gave Quil a look and the two of them slid out the back listening to Pastel rip Riley a new one, even drunk she was still the school's toughest feminist.

"Hey, Claire. Sorry to bother you two but it's sort of an emergency," Claire's hands clenched automatically around the phone. Emergencies in La Push were not like emergencies at the Sigi house. When she got emergency calls from the Sigi house they generally ranged from missing boxes of cereal to university security arresting a pledge. In La Push emergency could mean life or death.

"What? What happened?"

"Kim's son ran away," Emily's voice was strained, she sounded genuinely upset. This surprised both Claire and Quil, who was eavesdropping next to her. The teen werewolf drama had been ongoing for almost two years now.

"When?"

"Yesterday night. He's gone, they can't hear him so we're guessing he's on foot, but Embry and Jared couldn't find him," Emily said sighing.

"Is Kim—I mean have you seen her?" Claire was trying to be sensitive about the situation. She knew that with their sons at war Emily and Kim had lost the closeness they once had.

"Yeah, I just went over there. She's not holding up so well. I've never seen her so bad, I'm really worried about her. I can't imagine what she must be—well, I think she might need you," Emily was almost at a whisper.

"What's up? Why are you whispering?" Claire asked.

"The situation is pretty bad over here. I don't know if I should even be calling you," Emily sighed.

"Of course you should. Kim is a wolf-girl. Wolf-girls need to stick together. We're sisters forever, Emily. I'm sorry, I don't care whose kids are fucking, this is deeper than that," Claire stomped her foot, one thing her sorority taught her was the importance of female bonds.

"I agree." That was just about the last thing she expected to hear Emily say, but she was happy for it.

"Look could you come tomorrow. I you're at school day, but I think she really needs someone other than Jared. He's sort of, in a bad place too."

Quil grabbed the phone which annoyed Claire, but she didn't protest.

"What's wrong with Jared?"

"Quil? Um. Well, you know. He stopped phasing about six months ago for good, and well Sam and Paul don't really talk to him anymore. Embry's trying to be impartial, but… you know. He's just really alone right now," Emily was tearing up. Seeing Kim, who was always feisty so upset, had shaken her, made her realize how badly she had dealt with the situation. Yes her children came first, but Emily was a wolf-girl for life and she had effectively helped shun Kim's entire family.

"We'll be there in an hour," Quil said hanging up. He unwrapped the cord he was using to tie his sheet to him, stripped off the shorts he wore under the toga, and walked straight towards the forest naked. Claire was still frozen in place when he called to her, "Are you coming or what?"

"I thought your omega brothers were going to kill you if you missed another event?" she asked, pulling on a pair of underwear and her jeans.

"I showed my face and besides, pack before frat always, Claire," she nodded, following him to the small clearing behind the house.

They had made this journey a few times, but it was a tough one. We had to pass many urban areas with little coverage but running from the south eastern point of Washington towards La Push was much faster than driving, especially at the rate he ran tonight. The six hour drive taking just about 2 hours. It was 11:34pm when they arrived at Kim and Jared's driveway. Claire was sore, she had been holding on to Quil as if her life depended on it, and in a way it did because Quil ran at well about hundred miles an hour and if she fell off it wouldn't be pleasant.

Emily was there, as was Leticia, Helen, and to Claire's surprise Rachel, who sat in the corner like a statue, blankly watching as they walked in.

"We came as fast as we could," Claire said rushing to Kim's side. "Oh Kim, you look awful," Claire said forcing Helen to scoot over and allow her room to sit next to Kim.

"Thanks. You look like a Roman," Kim gave her a watery smile and examined her toga, she had forgotten she was wearing it. Claire never seen Kim so broken. Kim was like a rock a boulder! But she lived for her kids and she couldn't function not knowing if her oldest baby was okay.

"Where's Jared?" Quil asked from the doorway.

"He's in the forest I think. He phased… he's not really interested in talking to anyone—" Helen stopped talking immediately because Quil was gone as soon as she had said the word 'phased'.

"Oh god! What did I do wrong? I'm such a terrible mother," Kim started talking but when Leticia tried to cut her off she held her arm in a very clear sign to shut up.

"Emily. You have to know. I love David, I love your boys, I'm sorry if Ethan hurt them," her voice cracked and Rachel took the opportunity to jump in.

"No, Kim I'm sorry. God, Trisha is so out of control," Rachel said, her head in her hands.

"Look everyone's kids fucked up. Can we all just make up already, this is killing me," Helen said grabbing Emily's hand. Emily stood pulling Kim in a hug and dragging Rachel to join them. Claire wasn't ashamed to admit that seeing them all together again made her cry just a little, she leaped out of the couch wrapping her arms around as much of them as she could. The warm sentiment was not shared outside.

 _ **I just want everyone to leave me alone right now, okay Solace? Quil?**_ Jared was pacing, circling the town in an unpredictable pattern, Solace at his heel. Embry's mind shimmered into the pack collective thoughts from the south, he always had terrible timing.

 _ **Look Jared, I'm here cuz I know what Ethan going through. The whole forbidden imprint romance, I want—**_

 _ **That's rich.**_ Embry sneered cutting Solace off. Solace hadn't noticed Embry's presence and almost as if Embry was a human trigger, Solace's thoughts were now a collage of images.

Sadly packing his bags as he left La Push, leaving for the good of Embry. Leticia barging in his apartment, Leticia crying, Leticia laughing— her bright beautiful face painted with feelings of desire and love. Solace still loved her. Solace the woman-eater still thought about her, and that changed Quil's entire 'Support-Jared' mission into a 'keep-Solace-from-being-killed-by-his-Alpha' mission. Quil dodged through the trees and cut Embry off, he was already in a crouch, ready to pounce.

 _ **Embry you're such an ass. I left for you. I left so you guys could be happy.**_ Embry had a few choice cuss words to get through before Solace finally phased out, hurt and alone, like he always was. It made Quil feel empty, Solace was his brother. He was a good guy, but had fallen for the wrong girl and he was going to pay for it forever.

 _ **Like Ethan**_. Jared's fears finally came to the surface. While Solace had wooed, fucked and fell for Leticia before Embry imprinted, Ethan was not the same case. When he came back to town, whether he came on his own accord or if he was dragged in by the wolves, Ethan was going to pay for the offense with his life.

 _ **You don't know that man. Come on Jared, let's get some beers. Stomping around on all fours is only funny when you've consumed a gallon of hard liquor.**_ Quil nudged Jared shoulder before he popped back into human form, pulling on his shorts and waiting for Jared to join him. Jared jogged up a few seconds later and the two of them set off for the only bar in La Push.

It was well past three am, having been kicked out of the bar an hour earlier, when Quil dragged Jared back to his home, both so stupid drunk that their wives had to laugh. Claire and Kim were not asleep, the other wolf-girls had long since gone home and to bed, but Kim and Claire were spending this time together to discuss Claire's plans and marital woes; while their sex-life was outstanding, their communication was lacking.

"I'm sorry Kim," Jared swayed and Kim grabbed his arm to steady him. She smiled so brightly at him he almost flinched, she had a history of smiling just before and attack, but today all he needed to prepare himself for was a kiss.

"It's okay, Jared," she kissed him, shot a look back at the two of them and led him inside. "You're welcome to stay here," Kim said once Jared was inside.

"No it's cool, I think we're going to head back to my old place, they haven't rented my old room so," Quil let his words trail there and Claire, now no longer covered in a sheet but dressed in Kim's spare clothes, led the familiar path to Quil's old place.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Quil's words were a bit slurred.

"I thought you'd be disappointed that I was giving up," she said honesty as they turned the corner. The street was deserted.

"I support you in anything you choose to do, you know that right? I just hate that you don't come to me first. We used to be best friends, now I'm the last to know about your life. I love that you have sisters at that crazy house but I'm still your husband." Alcohol had a way of loosening his tongue. Lately, with his studies taking such a huge toll on his life, Claire felt he didn't have time or the desire to talk and she told him so.

Yes, marriage wasn't perfect even for imprints, so that night even though they were exhausted and needed to be back for afternoon classes in a few hours, Claire and Quil talked. They spent the whole night talking, wrapped close to each other; discussing every aspect of their life that they had neglected to mention either big or small. And finally Quil gave in to irresponsibility, making love to Claire and then succumbing into sleep, crashing through his afternoon classes with his wifey by his side.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Wherever You Go I Follow**

* * *

"Quil! Where's my cap?!" Claire screamed while searching through the house under every surface and on top of every freshly packed box.

"Here," he called throwing her mortar board through the house like a Frisbee. She caught it expertly, and checked that her sorority's Sigma Iota glitter logo was top was still intact. She smiled and pulled it on without looking in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, now come on!" Quil demanded, and she ran out the door following an anxious Quil.

Graduation day. They were supposed to be lining in the quad but they had gotten carried away with the all sorts of fleshy desires and now they were a few minutes late. Not so late that they would miss it, but late enough that they had to run, Claire strapped herself to his back as he sped through the trees to the clearing where their three hundred fellow classmates were lined up alphabetically. They ran together to the front, to the spots marked C. Ateara and Q. Ateara.

When they settled into their seats after the customary walk around campus, Claire turned around trying to find her family. They were easy to spot, a group of large brown men huddled together in small lawn chairs interspersed with pretty ladies: Jared, Kim, Emily, Claire's mother, father and sister, Sam, Paul, Rachel, Quil's mom, Embry, Leticia, Jake, Renesmee, Edward and Bella, sitting in that order and taking up an entire row.

Each student was allotted only four tickets. The decision as to who to invite became such an emotional hassle for Claire that Quil went through a hellish mission with out-of-state and foreign exchange students rounding up the remaining tickets. He even ended up having to pay a hefty fee for the last two emergency tickets for Edward and Bella, a last minute addition Claire could not do without, and Quil agreed wholeheartedly as they had paid for the entirety of their education.

Kim sat next to Emily squeezing her scarred hand with teary eyes. She had watched Claire grow from a rambunctious toddler into a beautiful confident woman, and Kim was so full of pride, one would have sworn Claire was hers. With her own son gone, the other now a devout wolf, she didn't know if she would ever get to see her own children walk this same path although she had once been certain she would.

Kim looked down the aisle at her family, it had grown significantly in the last ten years, she never in her childhood imagined being surrounded by so much love. Emily looked over at her, her watery eyes mirroring Kim's, as they stared at each other for a long time. The first two wolf girls, watching their third addition, their baby girl, Claire-bear, graduate.

When the two of them received their diplomas, one after the other, Quil magna cum-laude, the row of wolves and wives exploded, causing those around to stare in disbelief. None screamed louder than Embry and Jake, who lived vicariously through the achievement of their brother, their best friend, Quil.

Claire had done most of her goodbyes the night before, but after their hats were thrown and families were greeted, her sorority sisters found her one after the other and gave her teary eyed kisses with pledges to keep in touch. They all had plans, a set goal in their lives, and Claire had only just managed to graduate with the help of Quil and Longhorn. She felt a tinge of jealousy watching them leave, taking the last step of their childhood and walking head first into the real world.

"Hey Quil, my man!" Justin Doris, Quil's fraternity brother and fellow Latin American History major called running forward. They had rushed the frat together, and Justin was probably Quil's closest friend outside of the pack. Claire knew their good-bye would be tough, so she turned to duck out and find her family when he spoke again.

"I can't believe you turned down the position in Paraguay man! I'm going to miss you!" Claire had no idea what he was talking about, because Quil had expertly hidden it from her, having the post sent to his frat house and tearing them up after he finished with them.

The position was a low paying one, well honestly, it was more like volunteer work, and he wasn't even sure why he applied for it. He saw the posters for the position in the humanities building on the way to his Tuesday/Thursday Advanced Spanish class. **Teach English in South America.** The picture was a beautiful mountain town with smiling locals and at the bottom of the poster there were these pull off info sheets. He took one, rationalizing that it was actually for Justin—he applied anyways.

"What position?" Claire asked Justin, realizing Quil had not told her about the job for a reason.

"Teaching in Paraguay with me," Justin said questioningly, looking between both Claire and Quil whose jaw was clenched, before realizing his mistake.

Justin hugged Quil, promised to call and visit La Push before he left the country, and ran away, he did not like getting between a married couple, he learned the hard way with his own parents.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Claire demanded as Kim and Jared came through the clearing to congratulate them.

"Because it was silly," Quil said searching for Kim and Jared to join in and stop the growing drama. But they had had their share of early marriage issues, namely Ethan and Taylor so they didn't butt-in.

"It's not silly. Quil, if you wanted that job you should have said something to me," she said pouting.

"I don't want it, which is why I turned it down."

"Then why did you apply in the first place?" She asked crossing her arms, which Jared and Kim took as a sign to go back to the Ateara house and start packing their van. They could congratulate them at home.

"Because… I don't know. It was a mistake," Quil said kissing her softly and searching the crowd for Embry and Jake. Quil narrowly escaped further interrogation because of the baking heat. After about an hour of goodbyes Claire was exhausted, holding on tight to Bella her personal air-conditioner and heading back to her campus housing.

The crowd, a good majority of which held supernatural strength, helped pack up Quil, Jared, and Sam's trucks with all of their belongings and headed out, driving fast towards La Push, where a party would soon be underway. Everyone was there, the Cullens, the entire pack, and their growing families, eating and drinking and laughing. Quil and Claire were at the back of the procession, and, as Claire forced Quil to stop for snacks _twice,_ they drove into the driveway of Sam's house about twenty minutes after everyone else, the party already in full swing.

Mark Uley, Taylor and Jordan were the first people Claire saw when she walked in, they were standing closest to the door deep in conversation.

"Claire!" Mark ran to Claire and picked her up, twirling her around without effort, he was truly the largest wolf in the room.

"Hey, handsome!" Claire grabbed his face and placed a handful of kisses on each cheek. "How's school, genius?" She asked as he placed her back on the floor.

"It's great. I love it," Mark said as Jordan came up behind Mark to greet her. Taylor waved merrily and made his way to greet Quil.

"Hey Claire-bear," Jordan called, brushing her cheek with a kiss. Quil watched from the living room, growled jealously as Jared's now nine-year old daughter, Amber, demanded his attention. Both Mark and Claire rolled their eyes at his overactive jealousy and continued their conversation.

"Hey there, Amber," Quil called, picking her up. She kissed him, full on the lips, her tiny hands grasping at his cheeks, and then exploded into peeling laughter. Jared saved him from any further discomfort by lifting his love sick daughter out of Quil's arms.

"Sorry. She's been doing that. She's gotten Seth, Collin, Sam, Jake, Embry, and **Brady**. Oh god, she's gotten Brady at least six times," Jared explained.

"She's going to have a hell of a time explaining that to her sister. _Hey I kissed your imprint first_ ," Kim said, and then, as if remembering herself, stopped dead in her tracks. Her son had skipped town because of the same offense. As if the memory was too hard for her, she grabbed her other son Taylor, who was deep in stare mode with his imprint Melody, and pulled him to her side.

Taylor's imprint Melody was a beautiful baby in that stage between infancy and toddlerdom where her little limbs started to stretch. She was the daughter of former wolf-pack members Anna and Michael. Melody was calm and quiet, and she nuzzled her little head comfortably into Taylor's neck as Kim hugged and kissed her boy.

Claire joined Quil, squeezing his hand and looking around the room. Everyone was here, except of course for Trisha and Ethan, the lovebirds that flew the coup and were nowhere to be found. They had been gone for over a year now and no one liked to mention that sad part in pack history.

"I want it! I want it! I want it!" The loud screams pulled Claire out of her thoughts and she turned to see an adorable but terrible-threes inflicted Annabelle Cameron, as she pounded her imprint Brady on the head.

"We have to wait, but only for a little while, princess," Brady said smiling. The girl pulled on his ears as if they were reins and hopped impatiently pointing at the kitchen.

"I hope I wasn't that bad," Claire whispered to Quil, rubbing his hand with her thumb.

"You were worse!" Embry wailed, followed closely by a glowingly pregnant Leticia. Leticia was deep in a Spanish conversation with Nessie, who held her gorgeous three-year old daughter Elena's hand. Claire had only seen pictures of the girl, pictures sent by Nessie monthly as the girl grew so rapidly.

"Hello Elena," Quil and Claire said in unison to the three-year old that could easily pass for a seven-year old.

"Hello," she said in a clear ringing voice with a slight Italian accent, which she probably obtained in Italy, where she lived with her parents near the rest of the Cullens.

"I've seen your pictures. You're Uncle Quil and you're Aunt Claire, right?" Elena asked smiling, her smile and her posture was a lot like Jacob's, Quil noted as he smiled back.

"Yes we are, and you are the very beautiful Ms. Elena," Claire said, kneeling slightly so they were at eye level.

"Yes I am!" Elena said proudly holding out her hand for Claire to shake. Claire shook it lightly and smiled up at Quil. She was thinking a lot about children lately, although she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, she was only twenty-two and knowing now that Quil desired South American travel, she was certain she should keep her desires private. She wanted Quil to live his life. She had called the shots for too long and felt it was finally her turn to follow. And she would do it happily.

"Oh Claire," Leticia cried grabbing on to her, her rounded belly meeting Claire's flat one. "I'm sorry, I just had so many questions to ask Renesmee."

She kissed Claire on both cheeks more than once. Claire had never seen her so happy before and if it were possible she looked even more beautiful than before.

"Oh God, Claire-bear, forgive me," Nessie said grabbing on to Claire as Leticia let her go, so that Claire felt as if she were being passed like a baby.

"Baby things totally take over your life once you have them. You'll see," Nessie said looking down at Elena who looked a lot like her mother.

"Yeah, I guess I will," Claire sighed looking over at Elena. She was like a mini-Nessie actually, except she had deep russet skin, and black hair like Jacob—though the hair was curly like her mom's and had stunning green eyes which Claire couldn't quite place. Those green eyes were loved and adored by both her maternal grandparents, because they were a solid piece of the human Edward in a person so much like Jacob.

"Oh I'm sure you will then once you have one you won't want to stop. Jake and I are trying for boy," Nessie said proudly as Quil grabbed onto Claire.

"So how long until the little bebe graces us with her presence?" Quil asked Leticia, whose leg was now being cuddled by a toddling Randall, Helen and Collin's four year old son.

"Seven weeks by Renesmee's calculation. And little Randy here cannot seem to wait," Leticia said in mock scolding as Randall looked up at her. Helen came over then with her husband at her heel. Collin pried the boy off of Leticia's leg with a look of apology.

It worried Collin how attached his boy had become to Leticia during her pregnancy, he was certain it meant he wanted siblings which he would be all for, except that Randall's birth had all but killed Helen, and he wasn't willing to take the chance again.

"Papa!" Elena screamed running to Jake as he walked in the house towing Billy. Billy didn't look so well, pale and thin, but still smiling brightly at his granddaughter. Jake picked Elena up the second she got to his side and she placed a big loud kiss on his cheek.

"So, I guess it's a really good time for you to move back, huh?" Helen said now holding her son, who was reaching for Leticia's belly from across the circle.

"Huh?" Quil asked, he had been thinking about Paraguay and hadn't heard her. Leticia was from Paraguay, and he was desperate to ask her about the the indigenous people he had read so much about, but he knew that Claire would read too much into it. Yes, he wanted to go, and the job would have been a perfect opportunity, but he had responsibilities in La Push that he had skived for too long.

"Because the apartment above your shop is empty now," Helen elaborated.

"Really?" Claire asked. Last she heard Seth and Brady were living there, and the combination was working pretty well.

"Yea. Seth moved into the old Clearwater house, he's completely renovated it and Brady bought a house a few months back when Quil said he was gonna sell the store," Kim said joining the circle.

"What? Sell the store? Why didn't you tell me?" Claire demanded.

"Can we talk about this later," Quil said quickly.

"No, I thought that was going to be your thing once we graduated," Claire said looking up at him.

"Wolfing is going to be my thing for now. I've ditched that store four years now. Seth has been running it just fine," he said with a hint of sadness that Claire read expertly.

"Is this about Paraguay?" Claire asked stomping her feet.

"Paraguay?" Leticia called merrily. She had not returned to her mother land for many years, but she still held it close to her heart.

"I said it's not a big deal, we aren't going," Quil said quickly.

"Well if you are selling the store then I think we should!" Claire stomped.

"Why?" He asked with his hand on his hip, mimicking Claire's signature move.

"Because you want to and I want to support you, goddamnit!" She stomped again.

"I have responsibilities in La Push," he reasoned, and Embry slapped him hard on his back.

"Don't worry about that now, Quil," Embry said as Emily and a now aging Sam, brought out the cake that the children had all been waiting for.

It was huge, two layers of chocolate cake with cheesecake frosting, made by expert baker Jared with the help of Emily. The wolf-men with their child imprints went first: Taylor and his Melody, Seth and Jessy, Brady and Annabelle. The cake could not be cut fast enough for the crowd but the graduates were too busy in debate to think about cake.

"Quil, you did not go to college and graduate with honors so that you could sit around La Push as a wolf," Claire whispered a little loudly.

"I went to college because you did."

"And now you have dreams and shit, so we are going to Paraguay and stop arguing it. Look the pack is full up now. Krys and Ethan are the only two missing. Jordan, Michael, Phil and Solace are all back and that's more than enough," Claire almost shouted.

"She's right," Rachel said, urging Elena to get cake with the other children and coming through the crowd. She hugged Claire tight and eyed Quil seriously. Quil had been Jake's friend since childhood and he was her second cousin, so she had some sort of authority.

Quil noted sadly how thin Rachel had gotten since her daughter Trisha had left La Push. She didn't send notes, and Ethan didn't phase afraid they might track them. They could be anywhere, doing anything, and it haunted Rachel nightly.

"Big boy, you have years to settle down. You're not getting any older and your beautiful wife is still a baby. So do as she says," Rachel advised looking around the room.

"Rach, I—" Quil started with a rebuttal but he was too late, Rachel was a wolf-girl and she had Claire's back.

"Have an announcement to make, yes—yes, you do Quil," Rachel screamed catching the attention of the crowd. "Quil, the floor's yours."

"I—I… Claire," he said waving for Claire to take the floor. Claire used Quil's arm as support as she climbed on a chair and stared down at the crowd.

"Quil has gotten a job as an English teacher in Paraguay, yey!" she said whooping, the crowd was silent for a second then joined in a rousing round of congrats. Quil looked up at her, smiling, then when he couldn't stand it anymore she pulled her down, roughly kissing her for the crowd, which screamed even louder, laughing and joking. Claire skipped away with a smile heading directly for the cake. Her work was done!

"We'll miss you man. I thought we finally had you back," Embry said smacking Quil's back.

"One more year then you're stuck with us for a few more decades," Quil said jabbing Embry in the arm.

Jake stood on Quil's other side and the three of them watched silently for a long, thinking of the long and complicated journey the three of them had experienced together. Over two decades of friendship. Their paths which had started early so intertwined and now veered in different directions, but there were still moments like this, after so many years where the trio could share their greatest joys.

Quil watched Claire, who stood closely to Leticia inquiring about Paraguay. Embry watched his Leticia glowing in her pregnancy. Nessie came to Jake's side then, kissing his cheek lightly and reminding him that it was late and they had to put Elena down to bed. They said their goodbyes and left, starting the first of a mass exodus.

After helping Kim and Emily clean up, Quil and Claire walked hand in hand to the apartment above his store where they would be staying until they had to pack up and move again.

"When do we have to leave?" She asked resting her head on his big arm.

"In three weeks… are you sure about this?" He asked pulling her into his chest to protect her from the night's cool air.

"100% certain," she said with a smile and with that assurance so was he. He smiled wider, holding her tight, thinking about their next great adventure.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Way it Was**

* * *

"I got the job!" Claire's screams filled the humid night air, causing patrons of local cafes and terrace restaurants to turn and stare as she raced down the buzzing commercial lane.

Quil sat at a street side table half way down the narrow row of businesses with a warm plate of empanadas and a smile. Claire had just gotten off the phone with Kim back home in La Push, not an easy feat in the relatively small city of Encarnacion in Itapua, Paraguay; famous for holding "Carnival" and nothing else.

By Paraguayan standards the city was very modern, but the land lines were not fully equipped for making international calls so Claire still had had to take a rather long bus ride outside of her barrio in the old city, to get to the only hotel that merited a star, two in fact, The Encarnacion Resort Hotel. Those words were beautiful to her, almost sacred in fact. The hotel had saved Claire from homesickness more than once, with its cheap continental breakfast and English-speaking staff that were more than happy to connect her to America and on occasion Italy, for the right price. She had called both today, first Italy to check in on Nessie and family, then to her savior Kim, who had secured Claire her first real job.

"Congratulation Mrs. School-Counselor-Lady," he said standing and pulling out her chair. It was a chivalrous gesture he had picked up from their ancient half toothless landlord, Raino, the owner of the restaurant they frequented daily as it was directly below their apartment (and because it had an excellent selection of cheap Paraguayan specialties).

"Thank you, baby," she squealed giving him a big loud kiss before taking her seat.

"So… what's the pay? Do you get an office? Are you happy?" he asked, grabbing her tiny hand in his. He had missed the fiery excitement Claire got in her eyes when something new came into her life. That's one of the thing he loved most about Claire, her sense of adventure.

"The pay is low, but good enough for La Push, and I get an office that doubles as sports equipment locker… but I don't care! It's mine!" Claire cried almost bouncing off of her seat.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered crossing the table to give her kiss. The kiss started sweet but the pressure of his familiar lips on hers made Claire's heart speed and soon they were throwing money on the table and rushing up the back stairwell to their cozy apartment. It hadn't always been so quaint and warm. With Quil's low paying position and Claire's even lower paying gig as a street side artist, the two of them couldn't afford much. Over time though, with a cute wall mural and some second hand wicker furniture, their first real home was lovely.

He carried her to the bed, removing her sandals and sundress slowly. There was no rush really, their initial three or four years of feverish newlywed sex had cooled a bit leaving them with warm love making.

"I love you," she sighed as the warm familiar rush of her orgasm shook her.

"I love you," he said loudly as he erupted, breaking the calm silence of the room. She cuddled into his chest, listening to his strong thumping heart.

"When will we be leaving?" She asked casually, tracing the indent of his chest. He had finished his one year contract five weeks ago, but as they had grown so comfortable with their life here, he continued working, getting paid in cash while Claire tried to map out the rest of her life. She had graduated a year and two months ago, and times were hard for a girl with a major in studio art and a minor in sociology. Most of her sorority sisters had joined the workforce by now, young professional women around the world. It made her think about her life, about her family and La Push.

"I want a baby," Claire whispered, so softly only Quil would have ever been able to hear. She had not voiced her wish before, scared of his reaction, scared she would be pressuring him too early, but recently watching him interact with his students had put an ache in Claire's heart.

Quil taught children ages 6 to 12, and every day when she was done peddling paintings and sketches near the busy tourist areas Claire would make her way to his school waiting for him at the gate as his students surrounded him, trying to get in the last goodbyes of the day. She was too young to worry about a biological clock, just barely twenty-four, but she had had ten years of longing to be with Quil in every way possible and this was the next step. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage…

"What?" He asked rolling over so he could look into her beautiful cinnamon brown eyes.

"I want to have a baby… with you," she clarified.

"Well, I hoped it was going to be with me," he joked, kissing her cheek softly.

"I'm serious," she pouted, pulling him in for a kiss. "I want to start our family."

"You think you're ready?" he asked letting his hand trail down her body. His fingertips were so warm she could still feel the heat through the cool cotton sheets.

"Yeah… are you?"

"I'm ready when you are, Princess. We can start trying now!" He glided on top of her, pushing himself firmly between her legs.

"I'm not joking!" She cried, giggling as he left soft kisses on her neck.

"I'm not either. If that's really what you want, then Claire-bear, there would be nothing more beautiful to me than… than sharing that experience with you," he said seriously, holding his weight off of her with his elbows and gazing down at her glowing face.

"Wow… so we're gunna have a baby… I gotta throw away my birth control… oh, and no more condoms," she squealed, merrily. They always used both, afraid they would follow in Kim and Jared's footsteps having baby after baby while still using multiple forms of contraception.

"Yeah… let's start now," Quil breathed, lifting her firm thighs to allow him better access to her center, she moaned, feeling him press hard against her.

"Let's," she giggled, lifting her bottom off the bed and urging him to take her.

"Quil, would you talk to the travel agent? Her English is too hard to understand!" Claire screamed out the window down to Quil, who sat with his three favorite men in Paraguay: Raino their landlord, Justin his college buddy and Roberto the next door neighbor. The four of them played dominos every weekend for the last six months, and Claire loved that, she loved seeing Quil who worked very hard normally, relaxing with friends. Today though, tickets and reservations needed to be booked and pronto.

The school season would be starting soon, and Claire needed to be there when it started. Quil ran through the restaurant and up the stairs, landing at Claire's side within moments. He took the phone from her hands with a smirk and talked to the confused agent, booking two tickets from their city of Encarnacion up to the capital's Ascunsion International Airport and finally up to Washington's Sea-Tac airport where Kim and Jared would be waiting in just three days.

It had taken them only two weeks to get everything in order, to wrap up their happy little lives here. It had only been a year, but there was something very different about their life in Paraguay when compared to college. In college their frequent weekend trips and ease of communication made it so that they were never really away from La Push completely. Quil even did occasion patrols with Solace and Phil in Seattle when he felt the need to tear apart a few vamps. Encarnacion was different though, this beautiful city on the river had become the first place Quil and Claire called their own, making their return to La Push bittersweet. They would be leaving many things behind: friends, furniture, knick-knacks and appliances, little things that brought their world to life.

Their goodbyes were not as loud and exuberant as those they shared with classmates in college, there were no promises to keep in touch or exchanging cellphone numbers. There were only a few firm handshakes and teary eyed kisses on the cheek, but these goodbyes were much harder on the pair. Claire hated to see the pain in Quil's eyes as he shook Raino's hand and gave him one strong hug; he was like a father to Quil. Raino's wife, Carlina, made them a large basket of food, so overwhelmed with their goodbye she was unable to sleep the night before, and Roberto their middle aged taxi-driving neighbor cried unabashedly as they got in his co-worker's car and waved their final goodbyes. Justin, who had met and fallen in love with a beautiful local woman named Ramona, was more than pleased to take over the apartment when they left, so they were at least relieved to know that their favorite restaurant would not be losing too much business.

The grand exit from Paraguay and the seventeen hour flight was draining, so that by the time they arrived at Sea-Tac, Claire and Quil only had energy to give hugs and short summaries of their time away. True to La Push form, Quil and Claire's reemergence merited a party, and though Quil had had contact with his brothers since his move to Paraguay, he was overwhelmed by the changes. Trisha and Ethan were still gone, having had very brief contact once in the two years since their exit.

Embry's daughter Soledad had been born and was now the relative size of Anna's daughter Melody and Jared's youngest Annabelle. She was a beautiful girl, almost identical in looks and mannerisms to her mother Leticia. Little Soledad, small but with the eyes of an adult, kept to herself, watching on as if bored by the girls who ran around her.

David came with his new girlfriend a pretty and polite girl named Tiffany, who only made a short appearance before ducking out.

"So, did you miss me?" Embry asked giving Claire a bear hug.

"Immensely," Claire said dryly, then broke into a smile as he pouted.

"Your daughter is beautiful," Claire said looking down at her. She sat in Leticia's lap looking forlorn at the food her mother was trying to feed her.

"Yeah… she's a handful, and already smarter than me," Embry said with a chuckle.

"Well, that's not hard," Solace said sidling in to the circle with a now ten year old Amber attached to his back. He had moved back to La Push a few months earlier, when the Seattle pack finally sold their chain of hardware stores to a bigger mega store corporation and after finally making amends with Embry. Amber, still the love-sick terror of her youth had settled down a bit, setting her sights on Solace permanently and claiming him as her own. In fact, she spent a lot of her free time now planning their wedding on the internet, printing out picture of exotic locations, and designer gowns for their big day.

"Ha ha," Embry said punching his arm lightly which made Amber, who was very protective of her future husband, angry enough to growl.

"Down girl," Solace joked, blushing slightly when Amber gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. "She's sorta…"

"No need to explain," Quil smirked, patting him on the back as Taylor and Mark arrived. Taylor was now a freshman at the same college as Mark, and the two of them took an evening Still Life class to fulfill their art requirement.

While Mark ran directly to Claire's side, Taylor only had eyes for Melody, who was at his side in seconds, her little chubby hands reaching urgently to the sky, impatiently waiting for him to pick her up.

Claire watched them, the horde of children that filled the room, with hungry eyes wondering momentarily if any of these children would look like her own. Would her child have pale skin like Randy or maybe the deep copper tones of Amber? Would her baby have light hazel eyes like Annabelle or dark chocolate brown like Jessy who stayed tightly wrapped around her father Sam? Quil caught sight of Claire, transfixed on the children around her and smiled turning to the small crowd around them and making an announcement.

"We're trying to have a baby," he said, watching as Claire waved adoringly at little Randy who had not grown out of the habitual smiling stage of his toddler years.

"Trying? Isn't it, um…pretty cut and dry," Mark said brushing Melody's cheek gently with the back of his hand as Taylor came to his side.

"Yeah. Maybe you're not doing it right. Want some pointers?" Jared asked as the circle around them grew larger.

"Hardy-har-har," Quil moaned, grabbing his yawning wife and lifting her gently in his arms.

"I think I got it, thanks," Quil said joining her for a rousing yawn and shouting his goodnights, as he took her to bed. They fell asleep before they could make another attempt at baby-making.

Two weeks, it had been two weeks since they arrived back home, a lot of things can happen in a year, and in La Push, where things were constantly happening, the onslaught of gossip Claire was receiving from the wolf-girls was overwhelming.

It's a curious feeling, missing out on so many events in the lives of your family. The girls had changed, aged, although it had only been a year. It had been another year without a word from Trisha and Ethan, Taylor had moved out of home and Paul, Sam and Jared were now all aging and adjusting to life as civilians. Claire was happy to see they were all back to the closeness they once had, but a part of her felt left out, an outsider in the group she once called her sisters.

"You're so quiet, Claire," Helen said appraising her.

Claire had been listening as the girls discussed Randy's obsession with Leticia's daughter Soledad (who they called Soli), but having just arrived and not having witnessed it firsthand, Claire had nothing to add to the conversation. She learned from listening though that the jolly boy who was rather large for a five year old, spent his free time picking flowers and drawing pictures for Soli who he called his sister. Unfortunately, the rather introverted Soli, wanted nothing to do with the happy-go-lucky boy. The two mothers, Leticia and Helen, were trying to think of ways to get Soli to lighten up, she was a serious girl who although she was surrounded by girls "her age" had no friends.

"Yeah, I was just thinking… hmmm… well if he likes her so much now, I guess you probably shouldn't encourage them to get too close. They might fall in love and natural love doesn't have a very good track record around here," Claire said honestly. Helen was the only one who found this funny. Claire wasn't trying to be funny or rude even, but it hit a nerve

"Noted," Leticia said with a forced smiled. Leticia, who had the uncanny ability of saying exactly what everyone was thinking but too afraid to say, was rendered speechless. She had of course been thinking the same thing, but having seen the pain Rachel and Kim were experiencing by the prolonged absence of their children, the runaway lover, even she knew better than to say it.

"So… what does your new job entail exactly?" Helen asked trying to clear the air. Rachel, who now had the added worry of an ailing father lost track of the conversation, coughed and shook her head of thoughts of her daughter. After a while Claire found a way to excuse herself and rushed back to the apartment she shared with Quil.

When Claire got inside she was surprised to find Quil reading on the couch. He had gone to Embry's garage just before she left for Kim's, and she had not expected him home for a few more hours.

"Hey hot stuff, didn't expect to see you here," she said, crawling into a ball on his lap.

"Yeah, you either. Everything alright," he asked, accurately assessing her worries. He had been by her side almost every day for ninety-five percent of her life and she couldn't hide much from him.

"Um-hmm," she sighed, but her tears gave her away.

"What's wrong, Claire-bear?" He hated seeing her crying. As a child she often cried to get what she wanted, so in a sense he became mildly desensitized to her outburst, it was different now.

"I miss our home," she sobbed, pulling herself up till her face was placed solidly in the indent of his neck, her favorite place to be.

"We are home, baby," he sighed. He knew what she meant, he felt it too. Today working at the garage with Embry and Solace was like being transplanted to a different world, a world he didn't really belong to anymore.

"I want our apartment with the wicker furniture and the different colored walls and the tacky glass things and my mural and Raino," she cried, her tears increasing so rapidly she was hyperventilating.

"Hey, we have broken furniture here too," he joked. He didn't know the right words to sooth her, he wanted all the same things.

"Don't make fun of me," she whined, pushing away from him. He pulled her closer smoothing out her hair.

"I'm sorry. It's going to take a little while to sell this place and then we'll buy our first real home. We can paint it however you like," he said kissing her softly. His warm kisses were the most comforting familiar thing left in La Push and she leaned into it, straddling him in one fast movement.

"Make love to me," she breathed, running her hands under the hem of his shirt, her fingertips memorizing the soft contours of his muscles.

"Is this 'make-me-feel-better' sex or 'let's-conceive-a-child' sex?" He asked, as she removed his shirt, using her tongue to trace the outline of his nipple, eliciting a low groan from his chest.

"Does it matter?" She asked, unbutton her shirt quickly. He had originally intended to point out that their child should be conceived as the result of earth-shattering, blissful, loving sex and not a tear-fest, but he lost his conviction as she rolled her hips, rubbing her warm panty covered entrance against him.

"No," he whined, grabbing on to her arms and flipping her over so that he landed square between her legs. The sun was setting and neither of them had turned on the lights, the room getting darker as he ran his hand down her body and under her flowing peasant skirt. The dampness of her underwear under his fingertips was intoxicating, he fumbled to pull them off, running his pointer finger up and down her slit causing her to shake and rattle as he reached her sensitive swollen bud.

With the underwear still clutched in his hand and her entrance allowing him such an overload of scent he couldn't resist her, rushing down her body until he tasted her, his thumb lightly brushing her clit as he used his tongue to enter her. She squirmed, moaning and squealing until she released hard onto his face. He wiped it off with the bottom of her skirt ripping it off of her in one fast motion, causing her to flip onto her stomach under him. She smirked, pushing herself on her knees and looking back at him, like an invite, he accepted plunging himself into her from behind.

She was holding him tight inside of her, causing a friction so strong he was having difficulty concentrating on his mission, which was always his main mission, making Claire scream obscenities and collapse into a pile. Her breathing was uneven and he could feel the familiar tug behind his navel, he brought his hand around front using his middle finger to gently rub against her soft spot. She grinded into his hand, releasing his member slightly before clenching on to it again, the sensation of constriction and release was too much for him, he rubbed her more feverishly using his free hand to gently tease her nipples. When she started to scream he let go with one final thrust, the tingling afterglow of sex was wonderful.

They fell asleep on the couch, naked and sweaty, the dim room making it impossible for Claire to see much beside his face that lie next to hers. She watched him for a long while, memorizing the heights and valleys of his face before his soothing steady breaths lulled her to sleep.

Quil woke to the sound of a broken howl, sitting up quickly and rushing to his feet, waking Claire, who had been sleeping on his chest.

"What? What happened?" Claire called, blinking through the harsh afternoon sun and attempting to find her clothing. She gave up, stumbling into the bedroom and finding a yellow dress Nessie bought her in Morocco as the phone rang. The phone rested less than two feet from her, but by the time she was aware enough to reach for it, the phone was already in Quil's hand. Claire popped into the toilet, relieving herself, brushing her teeth and hair and washing her face before she walked back into the bedroom, preparing herself for whatever new issue had arisen.

She speculated for a second that Ethan had phased and now David was going to track and kill him or maybe there was a battalion of evil vamps set on destruction, you could never be sure in La Push, but if there was something on the horizon she wanted to at least be clean when she faced it.

"Billy," was all Quil said when she came in the room, dropping like a dead weight on the bed next to him. He didn't need to say more, she had seen Billy lately, his old age and diabetes were obviously catching up with him.

"Jake… Nessie," she moaned, reaching for the phone.

"They're already on the way," he said tensely. The two of them sat for long while, processing the loss in silence. Claire had grown up with sweet old Billy Black and Quil who had been Jake's best friend since before they could even walk had considered Billy like his own father, having lost his father very young.

"Trisha," Claire said after a while, remembering uncomfortably Trisha's connection to her grandfather. She wouldn't be able to stay away, if she had somehow been contacted there was no way she wouldn't come back. If she returned, she would not be welcomed, but knowing Ethan the way Claire did, she suspected he would follow which would make a much bigger mess. Ethan would want to be here for her, he would follow Trisha to the ends of the earth but following her back to La Push would be following her to his death.

"Ethan," Quil moaned looking down at the alarm clock on their nightstand. It was 12:16pm, the entire pack would be with the Lahote family by now.

"We should find them," Claire said quietly, afraid of his reaction.

"You're not going to be able to keep her from coming back."

"But you could stop Ethan from following her," she shot back looking through her bag for her phone book. She knew one vampire who could be more than happy to help her save the life of a La Push werewolf.

"If he wants to come back, he has every right to," Quil said grabbing the little red book from her hands.

"What? Ethan and Taylor would be slaughtered! David and Mark would crush them," Claire said attempting to take the book back out of his hands.

"I'll be Ethan's second and Mark won't agree to be his second. Taylor's his best friend and he's the Alpha he has to stay out of it. No one would back David in this fight."

"Okay, so you think he won't go alone and still kill him?"

"I'm not going to let David kill Ethan. I'm more experienced, I'm faster and smarter," he said seriously.

"So, what? You're just going to kill David now?" Claire said standing and crossing her arms firmly in front of her chest.

"If he can't be reasoned with… then I'll hurt him, yes," Quil said sadly, rubbing his closely cropped hair nervously.

"Reasoned with? Have you met him?" She squealed slapping against his chest as he rose to hug her.

"We should go see if Rachel and Paul need anything," he said kissing her now throbbing hands and leading her out the door.

"He can't come back," she whined.

"This is his home, this is where he belongs," Quil wasn't budging. He had thought about this for a long time. He knew all of the boys, he knew them all well, and he loved them like any uncle would. He had no favorites and he hadn't chosen sides, but he was also a man of honor and reason.

He, like Claire, had analyzed the issue that rocked his pack, that divided his family and he had come to the conclusion that he couldn't stand by as one person took the blame for the entire packs missteps and over-reactions. He couldn't and wouldn't watch as one wolf was forced into exile for loving a woman who loved him back. Trisha was free to choose her course. It's funny, looking back on his life before college, he wasn't sure if he would have thought like this before. Imprinting was sacred to him and he did think that if she didn't try to hard to fight against it, Trisha would probably find her self very happy with her match, all other matches worked well. It was, Pastel the self proclaimed "strong black woman," head of the feminist league and one of Claire's closest sorority sisters, that had changed him. She had a lasting effect on Quil and how he saw the world now.

When they got to the house Claire's anger was put aside, and she sat dutifully with the wolf-girls holding Rachel's hand lovingly as she called her twin sister Rebecca and made arrangements with the coroner.

During college she had studied anthropology, one of the six majors she tried out, she was always fascinated with the different views and beliefs about death—she even found some of them beautiful. Sitting now in the cold kitchen, watching the shocked disbelief of those around her, she couldn't bring herself to see the beauty in it, to see it as the path to eternity that she once speculated it to be. She just sat quietly wondering for a moment what her death would be like. Would there be a gathering? Would her body need to be moved and handled and packaged?

No one wants to think about death, but sitting around the round table surrounded by her wolf-girl sisters Claire wasn't the only one thinking about her demise, it was the natural reaction. Helen thought about her father who she hadn't seen or spoken to in over five years, she wondered sadly when she would get the same call Rachel was forced to make.

Leticia not only mourned the old man who had always accepted her, she also came to terms sadly with the idea that with her immortality she would have to endure watching all of those around her succumb to old age and die, leaving her small family behind.

Emily wondered if she would live to be old enough to see Jessy's children, or her children's children, while both Kim and Rachel prayed that they would get to see their runaway children again before they left this earth.

"I'm sorry," Claire sobbed finally allowing her tears to burst through. Rachel who had been deep in thought squeezed the girls hand lightly. Claire was barely five years older than her own daughter and seeing her cry so earnestly made her think even more longingly for Trisha. Rachel pulled Claire close and for once since Claire had returned to La Push, it felt like home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: What's Taking So Long**

* * *

"Aw, Claire-bear, don't pout baby girl," Kim sighed, wrapping her arm around Claire's shoulder as she walked out onto the porch. "It's only been four months since you got back, so that's what? Four months of trying… Your baby could be fertilizing right now and you wouldn't even know it."

"Kim, we've seriously been having sex five times a day—ten on the weekends. I don't know what the problem could be, but I'm scared to go to the doctor. What if they say I can't?" Claire asked voicing her fear for the first time. It was the morning of Christmas Eve, the night the pack spent together as a family. The celebration was being held at Embry and Leticia's house this year, and Claire, who was on winter vacation from the high school where she served as counselor, was supposed to be helping with the night's preparations. The day's announcements, however, that Leticia was pregnant again, made Claire antsy and a bit upset. It was her turn, she was happy for her, yes, but she couldn't help but be upset that it didn't seem to be happening for her.

Jared came out of the kitchen, whisking the contents of a large metal bowl with a merry smile on his face. He appraised the duo, his tiny Claire-bear, a girl he had known and loved almost her entire life and his wife, two of his favorite women in the world. He was in full Christmas spirit, helping Emily out in the kitchen while Taylor and Brady watched the children.

"You're fine, believe me, I can smell it. You two just gotta work on your timing. But for now be happy for Letty, she's over a hundred years old and this is huge for her," Jared said kissing Claire's forehead and heading back inside.

"Claire, you're still young enjoy the active sex life while you still can—kids ruin everything," Kim said popping a handful of Tic-Tacs in her mouth. She had quit smoking when Billy died at the urging of Leticia and Taylor, so now she could constantly be found with a box of orange Tic-Tacs, a smell that permeated and mixed with her natural tropical fragrance, making her smell like a giant fruit salad.

"Kim, but you had four kids, how can you say that?"

"Easy cuz it's true. I love them, so much and if I wasn't so old I'd be begging for another, but sex and free time are basically erased after you have kids. Come on, come with me to pick up Trisha, her cars broken and the two of us in a car alone… AWKWARD," Kim called zipping her coat as she headed to her car, Claire followed. She wasn't exactly sure how adding her to the mix would make the ride any less awkward but she didn't protest.

Trisha was living in Billy's house at the moment, and as Rachel and Paul were currently visiting Jake in Italy as a Christmas present, it wasn't as though Trisha had anywhere else to go. Claire didn't have a problem with the girl, they had never really been friends being at that uncomfortable distance in age where you didn't have much in common so you couldn't really be friends, but you were still too close in age to be like a mentor. And now with Ethan imprinted and far away, his reputation marred forever in the pack's eyes, Claire wasn't exactly wanting to throw her a parade either. Kim shared the same sentiment, but it was Christmas, and the Kim's heart couldn't allow her to leave Trisha all alone. Plus, after such a hectic year, today, the biggest holiday of the year was time to put it all behind them.

"Thanks for picking me up. I haven't had time to get the car fixed," Trisha said, as she hopped in the back seat.

"No prob, sweetie," Kim said tensely as she backed out of the driveway. They hadn't talked much since her return. What would she say exactly? Kim had thought about calling to invite her over for coffee or just showing up on her doorstep, but in the end she had no idea what to say.

When they got back to the house Claire was ecstatic to see that other than Quil and Embry who were doing some last minute business, the entire pack had arrived and her sister Lana was sitting on the porch waiting for her. Lana lived in Seattle now, making her way as a law student, earning the envy of many on the reservation, being a "Big City Girl."

"Hey there, lady," Lana called running down to meet her. They hadn't seen each other in almost a year, and after the reunion hugs and kisses, the sisters clustered in a corner, chatting animatedly as the sun set.

"Claire, you can't honestly be telling me that you're trying to have kids now, you just started out in life. What's the rush exactly? Your boyfriend ain't getting any older and you're only twenty-four. Live a little and get a drink with me," Lana squealed pulling her into the kitchen and pouring them a cup of eggnog Helen had just finished making.

"Ay, so cute, the sisters reunite. My sister is coming, too, ju know?" Leticia said positively glowing as she strolled through the room followed by her melancholy daughter Soledad—who was being tailed by the bubbly five-year old, Randy, who never left Soli's side.

"You have sisters?" Lana asked, examining Leticia carefully. Lana wasn't new to the supernatural world, she grew up surrounded by wolves just like Claire, even experienced a good roll in the hay with Solace, but vamps and half-vamps still creeped her out.

"I have one sister now, the other vas killed many years ago, and I also have a brother named Nahuel. My sister, Giselle, is coming to see my precious Soledad. Have you met her? Soledad, say hello to Claire's sister Lana," Leticia urged the little girl.

"Hello," she said dryly, Randy stood behind her waving merrily up at Lana and Claire, oblivious to Soledad's apparent attitude problem.

"And this is Collin and Helen's son, Randy," Claire pointed out, the boy smiling wider than ever.

"Hi," Lana said warmly and he giggled an energetic, "hello" in response.

"Great news!" Quil cried, as he and Embry rushed into the kitchen through the back door. Soledad ran to her father frantically grasping at him until he picked her up and snuggled her to his chest, giving the first true smile of the evening.

"What?" Claire asked hopping in front of Embry in excitement.

"Mr. Navarro died!" Embry said with a smile as Soledad cupped her little hands to his ear, whispering so only he could hear. "No, Cupcake, we didn't kill him. Quil, you wanna explain?"

"I'm the new high school Spanish teacher starting after winter break!" Quil said smiling as Claire ran across the kitchen to hug him.

"Wow, we'll be together in the same school! That's great, Schmoopy," she cried, leaping into his arms, he blushed but didn't refuse her soft kisses. Schmoopy was her pet name for him, something he had been careful not to think about while in wolf form, but now, it appeared, to have been in vain.

"Schmoopy?" Embry and Taylor cried out in unison, baby Melody mirroring Soledad and clinging on to Taylor's neck.

"Don't hate," Claire squealed with laughter.

"One day Melody with have a disgustingly cute nickname for you, and I just can't wait to hear it!" Taylor looked down at Melody who held on to him for dear life and smiled, she attacked his chin with kisses and he smiled even wider.

"I highly doubt Melody's ever going to call me anything as cutesy as Schmoopy, but you're off the hook for now. Consider it my Christmas present to you," Taylor chuckled as a new figure entered the kitchen and Emily called out "dinner's ready."

Giselle held no physical resemblance to Leticia. Giselle was long and lean like an Amazon, while Leticia was short and curvy. Giselle was deeply tanned with pitch black hair, while Leticia was golden with Auburn locks like her father, but they shared a love for each other and the second Giselle was in the room, Leticia flew to her side.

"Gigi!" Leticia cried, hopping up and pulling the giant woman into a hug. Lana stiffened next to Claire, grabbing her arm and staring up at the new arrival. Claire followed her eyes trying to see what Lana was so afraid of, but she didn't see it, Giselle was beautiful and her eyes were warm like Leticia's.

The men headed towards the dining room, leaving Claire and her sister in the kitchen watching on as Giselle greeted her niece, Soledad. Embry stood close by, eyeing the large woman in worry. Giselle and Leticia conversed but it wasn't Spanish, it was fast and flowing and beautiful.

"Portuguese," Lana whispered and Claire examined her expression for the first time. She stared only at Giselle, her eyes did not move; Claire pulled her towards the food with a concerned frown.

"What's wrong?" Claire whispered as they grabbed plates.

"N-nothing," she stammered, pushing her long hair out of her face and digging into the sloth of macaroni and cheese.

Giselle, Soledad and Leticia, deep in excited conversation (excitement being a first for Soledad) entered the dining room around the time the wolves had scarfed down eighty percent of the night's feast. Giselle went around the room introducing herself to the children, and the wolves, and the imprints, before she finally made her way back to Claire who she had met once before at Nessie's bachelorette party.

"Darling, looking as beautiful as ever," Giselle voice was like liquid and she glided towards Claire pulling her into a fragrant hug. She, like Leticia, smelled wonderful, like fresh violets and spring.

"Thank you, Giselle. It's nice to see you again. This is my sister Lana, Lana this is Giselle."

"Giselle," Lana croaked, putting her hand out weakly for Giselle to shake as they stared at each other. The look drew Quil to Lana's side in an instant, he didn't like the intensity, especially when he couldn't tell the intent, neither could Claire. Leticia held no qualms in telling the pack that Giselle was a blood drinker, in fact she had to promise to only hunt animals while in the state, out of respect for the pack before she was allowed to attend the nights festivities.

"Lana?" Claire grabbed her arm shaking her slightly out of her trance.

"What was that?" She whispered as she dragged her away from the Amazon. Claire had a list of questions to ask her but was interrupted by a screaming Annabelle who stood at her father's feet pounding on his leg with tiny clenched fist.

"Baba now!" she cried, causing the little ones around her to join in the whining demands for presents.

"We've just gotta wait a little while longer," he said with a sad smile.

"Brady!" She called shrilly, he ran to her side and picked her up brushing away her forced tears with his thumb, she sobbed even harder great racking heaves of forced air.

"Oh, just give her one so she'll shut up!" Amber called from Solace's side. They sat together on the couch, Amber clinging to his arm like she was playing dutiful wife. Kim looked over at her with a smirk and nodded to Jared who went into his bag on the floor pulling out a gift for the overly anxious Annabelle.

"You want yours now too? Or are you too mature for that now, my precious pre-teen?" Kim asked Amber, who responded by sticking her tongue out and shaking her head no. Solace smiled and whispered something to her. Amber smiled widely as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a little box, placing it into her eager hands.

Christmas present time took up the rest of the night, a massive scattering that was only broken when Ethan called from Europe, causing Amber to break down in tears. Jordan, Michael, Taylor and Anna left shortly thereafter carrying the sleeping triplets with them.

Their exit started a mass exit, Jared and Sam taking their baby girls to bed, and the rest of the wolves heading for patrol, so that the only people left in Leticia's kitchen were the wolf-girl's, Lana, and Giselle, who stood on opposite ends of the room sending waves of tension so thick even Trisha, still in a daze over the contact with Ethan, noticed it.

"Heh-hem," Trisha coughed, smiling over at Leticia, who was the only one in the group not disturbed by the pair.

"Yeaaah. So you want me to drive you home Trish or you wanna celebrate with the big girls," Kim asked grabbing a seat and turning it around so she sat on it backwards like a 1950s gangster. Trisha took a seat next to her with a sad smile, and Helen, who had just finished putting Randy to sleep in Soledad's room, came down and pulled out a bottle of champagne from her bag.

"Your Soli is a godsend when it comes to sleep time. She just went straight to bed, you're so lucky," Helen said, popping the bottle over the kitchen sink and taking a seat next to Giselle.

"You two kidding me? You both have little angels compared to my terrorizer. What, does little Randy stop smiling when you ask him to go to bed? Annabelle almost took my eye out with a Bratz doll cuz I told her she couldn't have sleepy time with Brady every night. This infant imprinting thing needs to stop," Kim said, pouring herself a drink.

"It's hell, isn't it? They just get everything they want, no boundaries," Emily said, grabbing Kim's box of Tic-Tacs and popping back a few.

"And dis does not bother you?" Giselle asked, her eyes scanning Lana making it obvious who she was really asking.

"I think it's weird, but Claire-bear, you give us the inside perspective," Lana said, blushing slightly under Giselle's stare.

"It's wonderful, and if I have a daughter, I wouldn't mind it at all," Claire defended.

"Yeah, well, there aren't many wolves left. Rare my ass, but then they never had a pack so big so how would they know? All I know is, I hope you do have a girl, cuz I'm rooting for Solace this time. I love him but I don't want him as my son-in-law," Kim sighed.

"Son-in-law? Kim you're not…having another baby are you?" Lana gasped.

"Oh, God, no! I'm thirty-eight and, no offense Emily, but that means baby making time has passed for me," Kim said, fidgeting. This would normally be about the time she lit up, so she chewed on some Tic-Tacs and elaborated.

"If Solace doesn't imprint, Amber's going to make him marry her. Trust me, she'll find a way. She's very… persuasive and Solace adores her."

"And, again, I ask, dis does not bother you?" Giselle pressed.

"Solace is a good guy." It was Trisha who answered, joining the conversation for the first time.

"And I know he's not thinking about her like that now," she added awkwardly.

"Vell, I hope I have another daughter, and she is just as beautiful as my Soledad, and I pray that she can be his, because Solace deserves it," Leticia added.

"Give me another drink," Claire sighed sadly, looking over at Leticia who already glowed.

"Don't drown your sorrows just yet, Claire-bear. You've got four mommas here, I promise you, we'll get ya pregnant. Okay, wait, Quil will get you pregnant but we'll tell ya how. Right ladies?" Kim said, looking around at her fellow wolf-girls.

"Mine was a total accident. I can't be any help, I can tell you how to avoid getting pregnant again," Helen said, giving Claire a very serious stare.

"Okay, well, after we've actually conceived our children, then I'll ask you about the whole birth control thing," Claire pouted her big pink lips.

"Children? As in more than one?" Lana asked with a grimace.

"Yeah. I'm thinking four, like Kim," Claire said and laughed at the face Kim made in return.

"What position are you guys…utilizing?" Emily asked, not looking into Claire's eyes.

"We're doing it up to ten times a day. I think it's safe to say you name a position, we're doing it."

"Only missionary from now on. No girl on top, don't make the little guys have to swim against gravity," Emily said, blushing profusely.

"Boring," Claire whispered to herself but nodded in agreement.

"And after the little guys are in, put your feet up. I'd say stand on your head, but that can get uncomfortable after awhile," Kim added, popping a few more Tic-Tacs.

"I gotta get something from my car," Lana said, abruptly standing and heading out the side door. Claire rolled her eyes at her sister's discomfort and turned to Leticia.

"How did you do it, Leticia? You went like four years without a baby and now two in no time. You have to have a secret," Claire pleaded.

"I need a cigarette," Giselle said, looking over at Kim, shaking her head and exiting through the back, leaving the wolf-girls in a circle.

"Once I stopped worrying and trying, it just happened. I thought we could not have children, so I left it alone, and then one day, it just was. Then after Soledad, I wanted to try again right away, two girls very close in age, it's good for them to have a friend, but nothing for five months. So we stopped trying again, and, here I am," Leticia smiled cradling her newly growing belly.

"Maybe you need to go to the doctor, Claire. I could, um, go with you, if you want," Trisha said with a shy smile. Claire smiled back, a warm genuine smile at the girl's kindness. She did secretly want to go to the doctor, she did want to know for sure but she was terrified to go alone.

"Yeah, sure… if you don't mind."

"Of course not. We're wolf-girls, right?" Trisha said in a voice that was truly asking if she were part of the group.

"Yeah," Claire winked, pouring Trisha another class of champagne. The group didn't notice the late hour or the prolonged absence of Giselle and Lana until Quil, Embry, and Collin came in from patrol.

"Where's Lana?" Quil asked anxiously, surveying the room.

"Oh shit!" Claire screamed, running through the house to the back door.

"She wouldn't eat her! She knows she's not allowed!" Leticia called after them, running to keep up. Claire burst through the back door and down the stairs towards Lana's car. She yanked open one of the rear doors, to a symphony of moans and Lana, spread out in the back seat, with Giselle on top of her, both half-clothed with hands in places only the most intimate of partners would dare touch.

"They're having sex," Collin coughed.

"Good job, Percepto Man," Embry chuckled.

"That's wonderful!" Leticia clapped.

Helen giggled and pulled her gawking husband away, leaving Quil and a visibly upset Claire to watch on as Giselle lit a cigarette and leaned against the car next to Lana.

"Claire, I was gonna tell you last year but—"

"You two have been going at it for a year?!" Claire screamed, Quil went to her side, gently rubbing her back.

"No! **We** just met, but there were others. I was going to tell you last year when I broke off the engagement, but then you went to Paraguay and I don't know, I forgot," Lana said, pointedly trying not to look at Giselle.

"Oh, yes, you just forgot to tell me you're a lesbian, I can see how easily that can happen," Claire said dryly.

"Claire, come on, you told me yourself that there were lesbians in your sorority. Why are you freaking out?" Lana asked taking a cigarette from Giselle and letting her light it.

"And you smoke now too!" Claire screamed shrilly.

"Calm down, baby," Quil cooed in her ear, hugging her tightly from behind.

"I don't smoke I just like one after… you know."

"Oh my god! O-M-G! What the fuck?" Claire cried stomping her little feet, throwing an Annabelle-type tantrum.

"Stop freaking out!"

"I'm not freaking out! I'm not freaking out," Claire answered, pulling away from Quil and pacing.

"Oh yeah, you're not freaking out. Note the erratic pacing, hear the shrill edge of hysteria in your voice—those are definite signs of not freaking," Lana said quickly. She like her baby sister was a true master of sarcastic banter.

Claire folded first. "I don't think I'm sober enough for this," she announced having Quil carry her home.

"Hey, I made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow? You, um… still wanna go with me?" Claire asked Trisha tentatively over the phone.

"Sure. I just thought you would go with your sister, she's still here, right?" Trisha asked nervously. She didn't want to get in between a sibling battle, and she never had a sister, so she wasn't really sure of the appropriate etiquette, but she thought, if she were going to be in a nasty doctor's office finding out the fate of her baby-rearing, she might want her sister there.

"Yeah, she's here," Claire said curtly.

"Well, I mean it's not my business and I'll go with you either way, but maybe you might want your sister there for support," Trisha said sweetly, her hands sweating. She had not been popular with the wolf-girls since her return, in fact she had been pretty much ignored and avoided at all cost, so she was worried she was hammering the last nail in her coffin.

"I'm just so mad at her. How could she not tell me, you know?" Claire asked biting on her nails.

"You know Mark didn't want to tell David either. And even after David knew, he didn't exactly shower him with information on his love life," Trisha said meekly.

"Can I tell you something and you won't judge me?"

"Yeah, of course, Claire. I would never judge you," Trisha said honestly. She wasn't sure she even had the right to judge anymore, after all of the stupid shit she had done in her life, all the people she had hurt.

"It just… freaked me out, ya know?" Claire had always thought that she was hip and liberal and open minded, but seeing her sister like that was haunting.

"That's normal. I saw my parents doing it once and I couldn't look them in the eye for a week," Trisha shared, recoiling at the images still burned in her memory.

"Yeah, thanks for the visual. Trish."

"Always willing to share," she giggled.

"I'll, umm, call her. And Trisha?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Claire said quickly.

"No prob."

Claire made up her mind, called Lana and soon, they were at the doctor's office, Lana waiting while Claire got prodded and poked. They were treated as priority patients so the preliminary test were done quickly, leaving the duo to go out for lunch.

"Okay, so I get why they have to stick things up there and basically torture you, but why do they all have to be so cold and metal?" Claire asked Lana, as they sat waiting for the doctor. The two of them giggled as they examined a large metal instrument that simultaneously resembled a silver egg and an alien probe.

"Ms. Ateara," a nurse called as they headed back into the exam room.

"Mrs. Ateara," Claire corrected kicking her feet nervously.

"Okay, well the doctor would like to have given you the result but he had an emergency call," she said with a warm smile sitting across from them in her pink scrubs.

"Is it bad?" Claire asked, Lana squeezed her hand feeling just as anxiously for little sis.

"You're fine, honey. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are perfectly capable of conceiving."

"Oh thank God!" Lana sighed, and Claire was so relieved and so touched by Lana's outburst, she started to cry, Lana faithfully smoothing out Claire's hair.

"Thank you," Claire said wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Oh, it's my pleasure, honey. Now, a few pointers for you. Don't stress yourself, eat well, don't drink caffeine or alcohol and tell your husband to do the same, okay? And make sure he's not wearing any underwear that are too constricting, okay, sweetie? Just give it time, dear, it'll happen," the robust woman advised patting Claire on the shoulder as she left.

"Thank you, Lana," Claire whispered.

"I'm happy for you, Claire," Lana said as she pulled her sister out the door.

"I'm happy for you too, Lana."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Immortality Not for Everyone**

* * *

"She's gone!" No greeting, no introduction, Lana just wailed.

"What?" Claire looked at the time, 12:45pm on a Saturday and she still felt tired. She hadn't had much time to catch up on her sleep lately, working full time at the high school.

This was the first day of the weekend and even after she slept 12 straight hours, she didn't feel rested. Rolling over slowly and pulling the comforter snuggly over her chest, she yawned, trying to get the sleep out of her eyes as she focused on the room. Quil wasn't there, she wasn't used to not waking up with Quil in her bed and it made her slightly nervous.

"Giselle's gone!" Lana cried louder this time so that Claire had to hold the phone away from her face.

"Haha, April Fool's," Claire laughed looking at the calendar near her bed. It was April Fools, Rachel and Paul's 19th anniversary dinner. It was going to be a big party, the first big party being held since Billy's death. Leticia was throwing the shindig for the whole pack. Usually the 19th anniversary was not a cause for a celebration of this scale but Leticia was mostly looking for an excuse to show off her new baby and newly remodeled house. Claire did adore the baby boy, but she didn't need to have someone else's procreation rubbed in her face after eight months of unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant.

"I'm not fucking kidding, Claire! Her stuff is gone!" Lana cried loudly, the squeal rang through the room because she hadn't yet felt the phone was safe to bring within range of her ear.

"Oh Lana, that's—no… she wouldn't. She adores you. You just need to calm down, she probably just needed to take care of some business," Claire assured her soothingly.

"Calm down? Calm Down?! BUSINESS? She's a fucking vampire, Claire! She doesn't have a job! She's an unemployed half vampire!" Lana screamed, her words coming out so fast they were like a word jumble spurting out of the receiver.

"Lana, I know you are upset but you need to stop screaming. Just take a deep breath and try to relax."

"Yes, great fucking advice! Relax! Why didn't I think of that—Oh, right, the panic! The frenzy! Note the shrill edge of hysteria in my voice, Claire!" She was getting higher pitched as she screamed as if she sat on the other side of the line sucking on helium balloons.

"I'm just—I'm stunned, Lana. "

"She just left. She didn't say anything. Leticia doesn't know where she went and she… she just left," Lana whispered.

"I can't believe it, Lana I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Do you need anything? Do you want to come down to La Push?" Claire suggested as Quil rushed into the room.

"Can you pick me up?" She sniffled.

"Yes, of course! Me and Quil will be there in a little bit, alright? Just try to stay calm, and we can do anything you like. We can go to the beach, or watch movies or eat entire boxes of inappropriate starches," Claire said in a babying voice, the same one she used at work sometimes when her students cried.

"Okay," Lana said sadly, hanging up the phone without warning.

"What's wrong?" Quil asked kissing both of Claire's cheeks lightly.

"We gotta go get Lana," Claire said solemnly. Lana had been her rock for the last few months and Claire fully intended to be there for her in her time of need.

"But today is the last day you're ovulating and you fell asleep before we could do it last night. We're supposed to get a few tries in before the party," he said with a pout.

"Well, I guess we'll have to do it next month," Claire said sadly, kissing him softly and rushing to the bathroom to change. She felt like crap, a nasty byproduct of working in a school, which was literally a vector of infection. Flu was the probable villain, it had been going around the school but she didn't have time to go to the doctor today and since Quil and 90% of the people she came in contact with were immune to pretty much all infectious diseases, she didn't really have to worry about passing it on.

"But can't we just do it really quick before we go?" Quil asked popping his head in the bathroom. Claire eyed him in the mirror where she stood carefully examining the swell of her breasts, which were markedly larger and sore. This usually only happened when she was menstruating, a gift and a curse during that unpleasant cycle, where she finally filled out shirts and dresses the way she wanted.

"Are you sure about the dates of ovulation baby?" Claire asked. They weren't going by the calendar dates but by Quil's sense of smell, which wasn't as good as the other wolves, a possible reason as to why they hadn't been more successful on the baby making front.

She smiled, turning to face him, but the dark desire in his eyes told her it didn't matter if the dates were right or not, he wanted her and now! Quil leapt at her, lifting her swiftly to place her atop the sink, wedging himself between her legs. Her underwear were quickly discarded and the top half of her dress pulled down, Quil attacking her sore buds with his scalding tongue. She moaned loudly, his big hands kneaded her bottom as he guided her further down his shaft. The sky outside turned suddenly black, but the couple didn't notice, as rain clouds smothered the sun, causing a sudden eclipse. When they were finished, rushing hand in hand to the door—the rain surprised them both, Quil removing his shirt and using it as a tarp above Claire's head keeping her reasonably dry as they got in the car.

Quil drove, his right hand stretched across the cup holder to warm Claire's tiny little ones along the way. He drove quickly, the empty roads allowing him to drive past the speed limit so that they got to the small apartment single family house quickly. Lana and Giselle had been sharing the place for the last five months and hadn't been seen apart for just as long, which made her exit even more confusing.

Lana marched slowly to the car, as they drove up, her grey jersey dress getting soaked as she approached the SUV. Claire got out moving to the back seat and ushering her sister inside. She was soaked through, but she didn't seem to notice. She just sighed lying in the back seat, wrapped in Claire's arms as they drove back in silence, Lana's tears spreading wide on the front of Claire's dress.

The ride back was mostly silent, just a sprinkling on Lana's sobs as they drove through the pouring rain. She didn't speak again till Quil finally drove into the parking lot behind their store slash apartment. There wasn't a big market in La Push to buy an old corner store, especially since a big box store had just opened on the outskirts of town, so Seth continued to keep it going.

"She didn't say anything Claire, not even a hint," Lana whispered as Quil opened the back door to usher them out. Lana didn't seem to hear, she just clung to Claire sobbing, her hair gathered atop her head in an unruly bun that bobbed with every racking sob.

"Come on, Lana," Quil said soothingly, lifting her up like a baby and rushing her inside. He had watched the girl grow from a demanding child to a promiscuous teen and now a beautiful though heartbroken woman. He never wanted to kill a vamp or a half-vamp so badly in his life, and if the half vamp in questions wasn't Leticia's sister (and thus part of the pack's protected circle), he would have. He would have followed her scent to the ends of the earth, taking extreme pleasure in ripping the arms right off her body. With a soft kiss on the cheek, he took her straight to the bathroom, Claire's little feet padding softly behind them.

"Lana, we need to get you out of those clothes okay. Why don't you get a warm shower and I'll get you something warm to wear?" Quil whispered setting her down on the toilet. He left her with Claire, rushing to the bedroom and into the massive wardrobe in their small bedroom. He rummaged through Claire's clothes pulling out a pair of terry cloth pajama pants and a tank top and leaving it in the bathroom floor.

Lana was already in the shower when Claire came to the bedroom, smiling at him. Claire closed the door behind her, removing her sundress as she walked towards him. Seeing the warm gentle way he comforted Lana was a weird sort of turn on for Claire.

"I love you," she whispered simply, walking into his outstretched arms. He pulled her close to him. Her skin felt cool and damp under his hands.

"I love you," Quil answered back.

"I am ovulating, you know," she joked as she pushed him towards the bed. He dropped down, Claire's small hands removing his pants. He pulled her thighs up to straddle him. Quil quickly thrust, pushing himself inside her.

"God, it's like I can't get enough of you," he breathed using her hips to guide himself deeper inside of her. She nibbled on his ear, his hands trailing softly up and down her sides. His warmth completely encompassed her, making her forget about Lana, possible infertility, and her rain soaked skin.

"Faster," she moaned as the water in the bathroom stopped.

"She's finished," he sighed, but didn't dare stop, trailing his hands down to gently massage circles on her clit.

"But I'm not finished!" She cried and he chuckled, bucking into her and rubbing faster.

"Oh shit!" She screamed, muffling the sound with her forearm. He flipped her over on her back, riding out the orgasm as she clenched and writhed beneath him. Claire's body pushed Quil over the edge, and he felt himself release inside her. He laid still, staying joined, making sure every last drop was where it needed to be.

"That was great," she sighed, as Quil rolled over and gathered Lana's dry clothes.

"Amazing," he agreed leaning down to kiss her before rushing to get dressed.

Claire lie flat on her back, her legs shot straight in the air in a position Kim told her was supposed to help with insemination. She smiled at him from the upside down position, waving quickly.

"I hope this is the one that takes, Quil," she sighed dreamily rubbing her flat belly.

"Me too, Claire-bear." He sat on the bed next to her, running his hand down her legs which were still cold and damp. "You're still freezing baby," he said kissing her on the cheek and rolling off the bed to find her something to wear.

Claire smiled as she watched him sort through her clothing. He didn't often have an opportunity to choose her clothes so she watched it with great interest. He carefully picked out a frilly pair of underwear she only wore to turn him on, tight black leggings a puppy and a soft baseball tee that didn't quite cover her stomach. She didn't oppose the selection, just smiled widely as he brought it to her, making sure to help her into every individual article.

They left the room hand in hand, Lana waiting for them in the kitchen, big puffy red eyes blinking up at them. Quil busied himself with hot cocoa as they talked it through, going over every step of the last week for clues of Giselle's departure. It was getting late, about twenty minutes until they were set to arrive at Embry and Leticia's house, but Quil didn't want to mention it, afraid to rush Lana who looked on the verge of another round of tears.

When the real source of the problem was revealed, neither Quil nor Claire had been prepared.

"You asked her to turn you," Claire gasped as Quil's shaky hands attempted to pour two cups of cocoa.

"Well, not her. She doesn't have venom, but one of her friends, yeah," Lana said casually as if they were discussing dinner plans.

"Lana! Are you crazy?" Claire screamed. Quil had to leave the room, he couldn't be sure that he could control his anger at the moment.

"Claire, I want to be with her forever. She's my soulmate," Lana cried, pounding her fist on the table.

"But why do you have to die for that to happen?" Claire howled.

"Are you seriously asking me that? Claire your husband is immortal, how can you not understand?" Claire did of course, she had thought about it countless times although becoming a vampire had never crossed her mind. They hadn't talked about her aging and his immortality for a very long time because every time she brought it up, they fought. He wanted to stop phasing when she turned 30, but the very idea of him aging, of giving up the pack and his life killed her. She wanted him to have forever, to have the forever that both of his best friends were guaranteed being imprinted on half vampires.

"I get it, but Lana, it's like killing yourself," Claire said grabbing her sister's hand from across the table.

"There is no me without her," Lana declared with a sob and that was the end of their discussion. For what could Claire really say to that, she knew that feeling all too well. So Claire sat with her, whispering to her soothingly as she cried. Once Quil had calmed himself, he returned to the kitchen rubbing Lana's back until she finally stopped.

They did eventually drag themselves over to the party an hour or so later, Lana moping her way through a round of greetings before dropping onto the couch between Mark and Trisha, who had been previously chatting but were now staring awkwardly into space as Lana sobbed between them.

The couple of honor stood locked together, their best friends, Kim and Jared, at their side reminiscing about times Claire was too young to remember. Claire left Quil to play "remember that time when" and returned to her sister who she was worried about. She needn't be worried, Lana now sat between Leticia and Soledad, who held her baby brother, Fredrico, in her lap, speaking to him in soft fluent French. He wasn't speaking yet, only about a month old, but his clear grey eyes did seem oddly cognoscente as she spoke and Claire could have sworn she saw him nod.

Soledad, not known for her amazing range of emotion looked thrilled as she held her little brother close, ignoring Leticia, Claire and Lana as they discussed her aunt's departure and Randy who her hopped around her trying to catch her attention with a rousing chorus of "You are my Sunshine".

"Leticia, I know you know something, please," Lana pleaded, grabbing on to the hem of Leticia's soft pink dress.

"Lana, I'm sorry she hurt ju but ju are just going to have to move on, bebe, it is all for the best," Leticia sighed smoothing out her hair which was still arranged in a chaotic bun.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Letty!" Lana screamed stomping out of the room like one.

"You do know what happened," Claire said shortly watching the beautiful woman from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, I do… she told me she would go last veek. She is also hurtin bebe," Leticia said patting Claire's knee as she moved to follow Lana.

"Wait, what happened?" Claire asked, grabbing Leticia's wrist before she could walk any further.

"She doesn't vant to watch her die, Claire."

"What? She's dying?" Claire shot out of the couch, grabbing on to her shoulders roughly.

"No, vell not this second. Giselle is vell over two hundred years old, Claire. Lana is a human, Giselle vould like for her to stay that way, but she only has 60 more years maybe, this will seem like just a few months to Giselle and she can't bear the thought of having to vatch that," Leticia said honestly pulling her hand out of Claire's and caressing the girl's cheek. Leticia had the uncomfortable talent of saying exactly what was on her mind, the entire truth no matter how terrible it might be.

"I mean, look at you. It seems like I met you as a young lady just yesterday and now you are a beautiful woman about to have her own little bebe."

"What?" Claire looked around, making sure Leticia was still talking to her.

"You're pregnant, you must know. I can smell it, two months I would say. I thought you vere waiting for the right time to tell us," she said quickly. Claire's legs felt weak and she grabbed onto to Leticia for support, her head spinning in a wonderfully intoxicating way. Quil was at her side in second, lifting her to his chest and Leticia smiled.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Quil asked guiding her to the couch.

"Leticia said—she said I'm pregnant," Claire stammered looking around at the small crowd that was gathering around her. Anna winked at her, taking a slow step forward, inhaling deeply and then repeating. She closed her eyes and the room grew intensely silent, waiting for the expert verdict. Anna had the best sense of smell in the pack and she was also a mother so she knew well the changes that occurred during the first trimester that altered the scent of the mother in such a way that wolves and vamps alike could smell it.

In one quick swoop, Anna gave a thumbs up and the room erupted in cheers, covering Lana's pained sobbed from the front porch, as Claire leapt at Quil covering his face in kisses.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Of Babies and Vampires**

* * *

"I'm eight months disgustingly pregnant, so are you seriously expecting me to find a Halloween costume and toddle around like a pathetic cow?" Claire squealed tossing clothes wildly from the closet onto the floor.

"It's for Amber," Quil said from the corner of the room avoiding her wrath and watching as a very pregnant Claire shot furious eye-daggers in his direction.

"She's lost 'Her Solace', trick-or-treating ain't going to fix it," Claire said with sharp air quotations. Solace had left La Push, possibly forever, two weeks ago. An exit brought on when Leah announced her engagement to a guy she met from her evening meditative yoga class a few months back.

Gregory Crawford, Greg: a thirty-something widow with an adorable five year old daughter named April. Leah had finally found happiness, and Solace was devastated. He tried to play it off as a break, a simple vacation to visit Ethan in Europe where he now lived with the Cullens and his imprint. No one was fooled though we he took everything he owned and gave Taylor his apartment paid in full for the next year. Leah had a courthouse wedding and a simple reception at Sue and Charlie's house in Forks but Solace was gone before the invitations were even sent out.

Amber was inconsolable, the saddest pre-teen this side of the Pacific. So tonight, Halloween, which was her favorite holiday, was going to be her night. Kim and Leticia had planned out a whole celebration just for her, starting with a dinner of her favorite foods and ending with a night of trick or treating until she had enough candy to put her into a sugar coma.

"If you're tired you can stay in," Quil suggested meekly.

She was round, red from the excursion and irritated, so Quil, who was a master at adaptability and wanted to keep all of his limbs intact, wasn't going anywhere within the deadly ring of terror that surrounded her and her stomach; which protruded at least a good foot ahead of her. Quil flinched as she picked up the cordless phone near the foot of the bed. In recent weeks she had become rather skilled at throwing the heaviest thing she could find, not only with devastating accuracy but with speed that he never imagined possible from a human.

The final weeks marked a point of Claire's pregnancy where the thrill and joy of being pregnant had faded and she didn't so much glow as radiate a need to get the little kicking monster out of her. To say she had become less than amicable was an understatement. This new unpleasant disposition did not go unnoticed, causing almost her entire support system to shrink away to hidden corners of La Push trying to avoid the surly woman with child lest she unleash a fury on them of wayward objects and cutting insults, the likes of which had never been seen on this tiny reservation.

"Hello?" Claire spoke into the phone. He wasn't sure whom Claire was calling, there was truly a short list of people who still tolerated her, but he knew better than to ask. She stood with her hand on her hip, sweating a bit in the heated room, he hurried to turn the heater down from the blazing 90 degrees which made him feel faint but was done as a precaution for Claire.

While Claire had become more… disagreeable, Quil had become even more paranoid. He had always been careful with Claire, from the moment he locked eyes with the rambunctious toddler people had joked of his overprotectiveness that bordered on paranoia, but now he was just plain paranoid. Extremely paranoid. The king of Paranoid city even.

He had Claire on a special diet of purely organic foods because he read somewhere that the pesticides from produce could cause short sightedness in infants. He supplemented those organic foods with the best vitamins he could find, bought online from a Swiss company that made its money off of paranoid fathers-to-be around the world.

He read articles on everything from breastfeeding to language acquisition and had preemptively baby proofed the house, so that it resembled the play area of McDonald's. There were no sharp corners or edges that weren't padded. No doors or drawers that weren't booby-trapped with little plastic contraptions that made it difficult for him, a grown man with a college degree, to get open. He lived with the inconvenience though, because every article he read and movie he watched suggested that one day they are in their high chair and the next they are getting tattoos you didn't consent for and he wanted to be ready. He was being paranoid for two now.

"No… I guess… When?" Claire asked, nodding her head in silent acknowledgment of his kind deed. When she hung up the phone she dropped it on the bed, pouting as she looked at him. She was cycling, the name he gave to days where her hormones were so screwed she went from extreme sadness and love to unrestrained anger in the course of a few hours.

"You alright?" Quil asked bravely, taking a few steps towards the bed, she reached out for him and he placed his arm around her shoulder kissing the top of her head as she sniffled a bit.

"What am I going to wear?" She asked the question as if it were so vital, so life changing that Quil didn't have the heart to not take it seriously. He got off the bed and carefully looked through all of her maternity clothes, a huge collection of hand me downs from Leticia and Kim. He found one soft feeling pink dress that he remembered Leticia wearing during her son Fredrico's pregnancy. He pulled it out of the pile and placed a white cardigan and the angel wings Kim had sent over a few days back. Part of Amber's celebration was that all of the partygoers were required to wear a costume, Amber's favorite part of the day and Kim was taking it very seriously. She had sent props of all sorts and Quil had quick picked out a flower lei which he would wear over a pair of Hawaiian shorts so that he instantly became a Samoan, or a surfer depending on how you wanted to look at it.

"Here, Angel, how about this? I think you'd look beautiful in it," he said presenting the outfit to her. She fingered it gingerly then nodded standing and struggling to relieve herself of her favorite soft sleeping gown. Quil jumped to help her, his hand grazing her silky belly. They hadn't had sex in months, two months to be exact and he relished any opportunity to touch her.

"Do you hate me?" she asked raising her arms so he could help her slip into the low cut dress.

"No, Claire, of course not! I love you," he said his eyes lingering on her breast which had swelled attractively during the last months of her pregnancy.

"I love you, too," she sighed, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him softly. He leaned into it enthusiastically rubbing her back and hips, kneading her soft flesh. She moaned against his tongue as he ran his hand over her belly and down between her legs, tracing the edge of cotton Granny panties.

"Can I?" He asked, leaving soft kisses behind her ear. She nodded vigorously and he led her backwards towards the bed, lying flat against the comfortable sheet. She smiled, letting him remove her underwear and spread her legs at the knee. He hadn't smelled her arousal for a while and hadn't tasted her for longer.

The moment he leaned down, kissing her thigh, the phone rang. She screamed, twitching as Quil climbed around her and reached for the phone but Claire got it first.

"What?!" She screamed into the receiver.

"Hello, Claire, it's nice talking to you too, may I speak to Quil?" Kim said coolly, she was one of the many that avoided Claire as much as possible. She believed there was honestly no excuse for being mean to a pregnant lady, but it didn't make it any easier to deal with her, especially when she had a daughter in mourning over the love of her life.

"Hey, Kim," Quil sighed rolling onto his back with an unsatisfied erection straining in his board shorts.

"Yeah, look Letty's got something she needs to talk to you about but Claire can't be there, you need to come over for a bit, okay?" Kim's voice was slightly distressing but he knew by the way Kim said it that Claire shouldn't be alerted of the problem.

"What's it about?" Quil asked calmly smiling at Claire as she panted lightly besides him.

"Lana." That one word killed his arousal and made him shoot out of bed, going to the kitchen to fetch some water for Claire and hyperventilate a little.

"Is she…" he couldn't even finish the sentences. There were really only a few ways this could go and with recent developments he thought only one path seemed likely.

After six months of being away, six months of zombie-like Lana, Giselle returned, it seems she couldn't live without Lana either. She had wandered the nation and came back the week after Leah's wedding. Claire was thrilled to see her, she wasn't particularly fond of Giselle or the lifestyle she led, a lifestyle were humans were still on the menu, but she knew that Lana of all people was safe with Giselle. There was love there, the kind of love that could be frowned upon by many cultures and groups of people but Claire just wanted to see her sister happy… and alive.

The issue of immortality was still…well an issue. Giselle was, and would be forever—there was no option for her to stop phasing—she was for all intents and purposes a vampire. Lana was not but she wanted to be, no matter how many times her friends and family tried to talk her out of it.

"I'll be right over," Quil said turning off the phone and returning to a now very naked Claire. She was round and bulbous in many areas, which Quil never thought he'd find sexy until it happened to his Claire.

"Turn the phone off," she commanded pulling him to the bed and pushing him on his back. He groaned when she grinded her warm bare core against the swelling tightness in his shorts.

"Claire-bear I need to go… important pack business," he said, still cupping her firm breast in his hands, she hadn't allowed him to touch her for so long he forgot what it felt like.

"UGH!" She cried jumping up with a thump and running to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Claire, I'm sorry," Quil said from the other side, listening to her breathing hard through the door.

"Yeah, whatever, just go away!" She shot back.

"I'll come back to get you as soon as possible, babe, I promise," he said lamely.

"I'm just going to do it myself, you know! I don't need you to get off!" She wailed and while the thought of Claire touching herself was hot, it hurt his ego a bit to know that she didn't feel she needed him for much these days.

Before her pregnancy, she wanted him physically at least once a day, and on a bigger scale she enjoyed talking to him, discussing their future and even the news. The most he had gotten out of her recently was baby names and even on that decision he got little input, politely vetoing a few outlandish suggestions till they settled on two: Maddox and Shay. The names were both unisex, though they had received the good news that they would be having a girl about a week after the names were chosen.

"Um, okay," he said lamely, walking out the house with his head hung in defeat. When Quil arrived at the Cameron house, he almost didn't recognize it. The place was being decorated to such extremes it looked like a professional haunted house. Kim was at the helm, commanding a crew of four big wolf men carrying crepe paper, fake cobwebs and bags of other Halloween kitsch. Jordan and Mark were busy covering every corner with fake webs and spiders. Taylor and his father were on wall decorations, hanging dancing skeleton with rotating joints and other cheesy objects.

"Oh, Quil. You look like shit," Kim said patting him on the shoulder as she pointed to a corner Jordan had yet to reach with his bundle of spindly cotton.

"Thanks. So, um, what's up?" He asked nervously searching the room.

"Letty's in the kitchen," she pointed inside not looking at him, he knew the way well. Inside the kitchen he found Letty making a big bowl of punch with her children at her heel, little Fredrico barely seven months old but walking along on steady little feet. Letty's quarter vampire children didn't advance as quickly as Nessie had but they were still not exactly average.

"Oh, Quil, how are you?" Leticia asked, saying something in fast French to her little ones who sat down at the table immediately. Fredrico curled into Soledad's lap. Soledad was a beautiful girl, second in Quil's mind only to Claire as a girl. She looked to be about 5 now though, she was barely two and her aura, her mental maturity was much older, like a wizened and slightly unpleasant old lady. She spoke English, perfect English, accent free even but with Quil, whom she knew spoke Spanish, she kept to her mother tongue.

"What's up?" He asked nervously wondering if the children should be here for this. From what he gathered, from the worst case scenario index in his mind, Lana was dead. Drained trying to become a vamp, or had already become a vamp, which was as good as dead.

"Lana was injected with venom this morning, just past midnight," Leticia said calmly taking a seat next to her children.

"Fuck!" He hissed, then covered his mouth when he realized he was swearing in front of children. They both looked unfazed, young Fredrico analyzing him with a curious eye and Soledad sitting perfectly still her eyes portraying her typical malaise.

"Sorry."

"Should they be hearing this?" He asked wringing his hands painfully to keep himself from crying. He loved Lana, from the day he set eyes on Claire, he had always also loved her bright eyed sister, not in the same way and maybe not with the same intensity but the love was still there.

"My children will not be sheltered from our world. They know who and vat we are, and vhere they come from," Leticia said simply grabbing my hand.

"When did she tell you?" Quil asked. He wasn't sure why he asked, it was done, the venom was in her body and they had lost.

"Giselle told me yesterday morning that she acquired some venom from a wandering vampire friend. I suspected Lana would decide to use it," Leticia said matter-of-factly. The words took some time to boil in his stomach, a moment or so to burn so strongly that he exploded.

"You knew she was going to die and you didn't say anything!" His hands, his entire body was shaking so violently the chairs squeaked and Jordan who was closest to the kitchen glided in, pulling him off the chair and away from the children.

"What the fuck are you playing at Leticia!? That's Claire's sister!"

Soledad, who did not often find it necessary to speak found reason to now. She stood on the table so that she was at eye level with Quil, who was being held back tightly by Jordan and spoke in her soft clear voice. With blazing eyes and balled fist she said quiet clearly in Spanish.

"¡No te atrevas a hablarle así a mi madre otra vez o te las verás conmigo!" He stared back at the little girl for a moment, 'Don't you dare talk to my mother like that again or we'll have a problem'. It was a threat and though what she would do if it were broken wasn't spelled out, her determination was evident.

"Soledad, por favor," Leticia pleaded and the girl, giving Quil one last glare of distaste pulled her brother out the back door followed closely by Taylor who would ensure their safe arrival home.

Lana was dead. Like that— snap—she was gone. Quil had just seen her, days ago vibrant with newly rediscovered love and now she was gone. Her eyes would never shine like that again, they would be red and dangerous. Claire. She would never be able to be near Claire again.

"My sister, like Claire's sister, deserves happiness. Lana made a choice like many before her. She is not the first nor vill she be the last to choose dis lifestyle," Leticia said calmly as Jordan let go of Quil, staying in pouncing position preparing for anything.

Her words were meant to inform or to reason, but Quil, mourning for his and Claire's loss couldn't see reason; he saw red.

"Sit," Mark ordered from the doorway, and Quil was powerless to fight the Alpha's command. He dropped at the nearest seat and Leticia, not tempting her fate sat as far away as she could.

"Quil, we're going to leave you to discuss this… family issue, okay? Um, I never thought I'd have to remind you of this, but you do know what would happen if you hurt another wolf's imprint, right?" he asked kneeling in front of Quil. Seeing Quil like that, so angry, so scared and helpless affected Mark much more harshly than he had expected. He stared up at him for a long while, Quil's eyes refusing to meet his.

"I promise I won't hurt her, you know me better than that."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Mark said automatically but it just didn't feel like enough. He exited the kitchen with Jordan, staying close enough to the kitchen that they would be available if Quil really did snap.

"She's not dead, I know ju werewolves think of all of us as monsters, but—"

"You're not a vampire," Quil protested.

"I'm half and I'm damn proud of it. It runs through my veins just as strongly as the blood of my Guarani people, as the love for my native land. It is part of me and I will not just let ju discount that part of me," she said sniffing the air for a second before Embry barged into the kitchen.

"Quil," he growled through gritted teeth but once he saw him, slumped lifelessly in the chair he backed off, sitting next to his wife.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Leticia filled him in on the finer points of the conversation, though she didn't mention his rudeness, for which Quil was grateful.

"Lana," Embry breathed. In the pack no wolf was closer to Quil than Embry. Jake had left many years ago, and yes their bonds were still tight but the metal wires that held Quil and Embry together were indestructible, so much so that Embry was vital part of Claire's childhood, which included Lana.

"You didn't know?" Quil asked in shock, but he didn't need to ask; the tearing eyes and balled fist answered for him.

"I—I wouldn't have let that happen," Embry whispered, looking at Leticia for a split second before he stood, pulling Quil in a one armed hug.

"How's Claire taking it?"

"She doesn't know yet and she should not know now," Leticia whispered from her chair.

"I can't keep her sister's death from her," Quil said coldly, waiting for Embry to at least growl at him but he didn't.

"She's not dead! She is no longer human, yes, but she is alive. Her heart may not beat and her diet may change but she is still Lana," Leticia's voice broke as she said this, standing and quickly exiting the kitchen. Quil couldn't discuss this any further, he walked out the kitchen and through the front door dragging his feet up to his Claire which he found miffed and flustered.

"I'm sorry." His words were painted with so much sincerity that she forgave him for leaving her high and dry, she didn't know about Lana, she didn't know about venom or betrayal, she just knew that her Quil looked tired and that she was the likely cause.

"No, I'm sorry, I've—I've been terrible," she said rubbing at the tears that started at the corner of her eyes. "I love you Quil. I need you. I always need you."

He lifted her off of the chair, settling himself under her before he spoke again, leaving big warm kisses down the steep cut of her dress. He needed to be with her, to be close to her, to reconnect with her and she didn't oppose, straddling him as he pulled himself out of his cargo short prison. It was slow and passionate, and beautiful although slightly awkward with so much more Claire to work with. He kissed every new inch of her and explored all positions, making her sweat and moan as the light of day outside of their window was replaced with darkness.

Quil knew he had to tell her, and he would, he didn't and couldn't keep something like this from Claire. As her happy pregnant glow returned though while she dressed and primped for Amber's shindig, putting on makeup that had been long forgotten he decided to sit on the information for a few hours longer. He didn't have the heart to tell her as she danced with Amber or showered Randy with kisses that her sister would never get to do that with their little girl who would enter this earth in under a month.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Worth the Wait**

* * *

Claire didn't take the news in the way Quil had expected, it was one of the few times Claire had surprised him in the years since they had gotten married.

"I-I know," she said simply before Quil even finished delivering the message he had been dreading.

"When she came back for her I um, yeah, I knew she would." Claire stopped prematurely, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. It had been two weeks since he found out about Lana and only a week away from Claire's due date. He was planning on telling her after their baby girl Maddox joined the family but he felt far too guilty to keep this massive news from her.

Claire surprised him again when other than her single tear, she shed no more, standing and walking carefully to the back door. Quil rushed to walk in front of her. The stairs from the back exit of their apartment above the shop were steep and Quil cringed violently at the very thought of her walking down them alone, especially since she could no longer see her feet. He helped guide her down and when they got to the bottom step she snuggled into the crook of his arm pulling him along to Embry's house which was just past Collin's house and still in walking distance for a normal (read: not pregnant) woman, though for Claire it was a bit of a stretch.

They arrived at Embry and Leticia's house in double the time it would have taken to drive their Jeep but Claire was determined, she needed the air and the time to think. Young Soledad answered the door, Embry at her heel with a crooked smile.

"Hola," Embry said nervously as he tried to figure out Claire's expression. Embry had been on the receiving end of some of Claire's nasty pregnancy outburst but he knew she wasn't here for him, she had come for Leticia and he was faced with a dilemma. Leticia was his world, quite seriously she was his sun, but Embry also knew she had fucked up, there was no way around it. In La Push, outside of the pack, Leticia was not particularly well liked. The locals considered her snotty and a tad bit pretentious with her thick unidentifiable accent, designer clothes and air of superiority. So for her to alienate a member of the only group that accepted her, the wolf girls, was not bright. As his imprint Leticia has the privilege of not being able to anger Embry for more than a few days but he understood entirely why his Letty deserved whatever Claire was about to dish out on her and didn't plan to step in.

Claire, though, was just filled with surprises and when Leticia glided in the room stone-faced, Claire pulled her into a hug. They stayed still, locked in an awkward angular embrace made difficult by her size until the last of Claire's tears fell and Leticia helped her into the kitchen; Soledad still busy throwing hateful glares at Quil. Soledad came as somewhat of a mystery to most people, but there was one thing everyone understood about her: she loved her family dearly and anyone who crossed them was instantly added to her Shit List. That's right, Soledad was the only three-year old in the world who had a fully fledged Shit List. At the top of her list was Quil, followed closely by Randy and Jordan who was immune to her charms and trickery, making him not only useless to her but a threat.

Leticia called for reinforcements rounding up the wolf-girls: Emily, Kim, Rachel, and Helen. Leticia thought of inviting Trisha too, but decided against it when Kim came in dragging Amber along with her. Amber and Trisha continued to be sworn enemies, snide remarks thrown in every direction by both parties whenever they were forced to be in the same room together for too long.

The quickly maturing thirteen-year old was at an awkward stage in her development, she was growing faster and more voluptuous then other girls her age, and she didn't know what to do with it. Her body was shaping, very much like an hourglass—though she didn't see that in a positive light. She covered it all by Solace's old baggy shirts and sweatpants which she tied tight around her waist. She looked quite frankly disheveled and miserable— with a hint of bitter resentment. Her eyes matched the cold anger in Claire's heart and Claire felt instantly attached to the girl. She smiled sadly at her, pushing out the seat closest to her so Amber could slide in.

"Hey, Princess Pretty Face," Claire whispered, kissing the girl on the cheek. Growing up Amber insisted being called Princess Pretty Face, after Solace's exit though, that name made her stomach churn.

"Don't call me that," she hissed and Claire nodded.

"Sorry… Amber. How are you feeling?" She asked looking deep into the girl's eyes. There was camaraderie in their hidden sadness and recognizing a partner in misery Amber smiled.

"I'm…living," Amber said honestly.

"Ethan called yesterday," Kim announced, hoping Ethan's constant contact would be a way to brighten Amber's spirits. It wasn't, it was just a reminder to her of yet another abandonment; imprinting took both her brothers from her.

"Solace isn't there anymore. He's taking a job with the vamp council in Volterra," Amber informed the circle. Amber wouldn't accept phone calls or webcam conferences with Solace, so he had to resort to old fashioned mail, sending her a handful of letters a week, express mail, so that Amber was the only person in La Push privy to his moves and motives.

"Working with the vamps?" Leticia asked leaning in.

"Yes," was all Amber said for the remainder of the night, but she held Claire's outstretched hand tightly. They had both lost siblings, lost people very important in their life but in a way they found something new.

The morning before Claire felt her very first contraction Amber came over, dressed in some of the hand-me-downs Claire had showered her with the day before. In the days that led up to Maddox Shay Ateara's first breath, Amber and Claire were inseparable.

"You look beautiful," Claire said brightly. She remembered vividly a time not too long ago when she was a self-conscious teen, unsure of what to do and who to be.

"Thanks," Amber smiled, a real smile, which was a new addition to her facial expressions.

They made a pact that day when Claire asked her new buddy Amber to be her child's godmother. She hadn't planned on naming one person as godmother, being a member of such a strong group of women, but something about it just felt right.

No one had ever given Amber responsibility, she grew up being babied by her family then later by Solace, but she promised to take Lana's place as her aunt and never leave Maddox like those closest to her always seemed to do… and she meant it, she never meant anything so full heartedly in her entire life. When Claire sent Amber home for dinner with her family, she had a new pep in her step. She was new aunt and a budding young lady.

 **Early Labor- 2:49am**

"Baby, I can't get comfortable," Claire whined flipping herself from side to side on their new foam mattress. It was close to 3 a.m. and her flipping and huffing was making it impossible for Quil to sleep.

"I thought you liked this mattress," Quil said rolling over to face her. He had bought the mattress in her fifth month when sleeping became a battle. He personally hated the thing which was double the thickness of their old one but didn't support his weight so that by the end of the night he was essentially sleeping on the hard box spring. Claire usually loved it but her stomach, now bursting at the seams, was making everything a struggle.

"Well, it's not working now and I'm tired," she said kicking the sheets off of her legs.

"Do you want me to make up the Lazy-boy?" Quil asked, rolling out of bed. Before they bought her the special mattress, she spent a few nights curled up in the Lazy-boy, Quil lying anxiously at her feet.

"Help me up," Claire said, placing her arms straight up for him to grab. He walked over with a smile, he knew she was uncomfortable and he wanted nothing more to alleviate her aches but seeing her so bulbous was adorable.

"Coming Claire," he said carefully grabbing one arm at the elbow, wrapping the other around her back.

"Ah-ohhh," Claire whined throwing her body back down, clutching at her beach ball stomach.

"What's wrong?" Quil cried, searching the room for clues.

"Quil, th-this one is real," she cried grabbing his hand again and pulling herself up. She had had a bout of Braxton Hicks or "fake" contractions in her seventh month but this was different.

Panic. Complete and utter panic. For weeks Quil had prided himself on his preparation and maturity in the baby rearing department but right now it was just panic.

"What do we do?" He asked helplessly and Claire who had recovered from the first contraction, stared at him.

"We wait for another one, baby, we've been preparing for this," she sighed kissing his hand. The pain radiated from her back to her protruding front and when it was over she was able to stand again. Quil was in shock, poor thing, and while she found it slightly amusing she stayed focused.

"Quil, when they get closer we're going to have to leave so why don't you just get everything ready while I call my mom, okay?" She said as calmly as she could muster. Quil roared to life, fumbling over himself to gather their hospital bag, their keys, the camera and a sweater as Claire instructed.

She called her mother three times before she gave up, it was three in the morning and it was likely that her mother, Joanna and her father, who were now happily back together in Seattle, could not hear the phone over her father's loud snores. It was a blow. Her sister and now her mother, she was left alone with Quil who looked sick under the florescent lights of the kitchen, where she sat contemplating her next move.

Emily would be hosting the days Thanksgiving festivities and Claire did not want to impose. Kim had a little girl to look after, and it was the middle of the night. She sent a quick text to Amber telling her she was in labor but not to worry about it until morning and she decided on Leticia. Leticia was the most likely choice but when her second contraction rocked, hitting her hard, she lost all train of thought. Quil rushed to her side looking on helplessly as she gripped the edges of the table. It wasn't long, in actuality it was less than a minute, but it was excruciating to watch.

She had three more contractions on the drive to their chosen hospital in Port Angeles, one of which almost caused a crash because of her wild thrashing and sailor-like cussing. Quil felt himself getting sick, counting the minutes until her next one. They were still in the early stages of labor, he remembered this much from his hours of internet researching, the contractions were about 15 minutes apart and lasted about half a real minute though they lingered in his mind. He vowed then they would not have another because while it was nice to produce offspring, perfect combinations of you and your significant other, watching Claire's face twist in pain was not something he could handle again.

Their doctor a small and aging Indian woman named Dr. Sandeep, had been the packs doctor of choice since Mark and David first stepped into the world and when she moved to the Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, the wolf girls followed. She was kind and warm but also direct and above all, she was competent. The pack especially liked her because it seemed she didn't notice the fact that some of the wolves she had seen almost two decades prior hadn't changed much in the time since.

Vinisha Sandeep did notice though, she had helped bring countless children into the world and she cherished each one. Her memory, despite her advancing age, was impeccable. Vinisha was a graduate of the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. She completed her obstetrics and gynecological residency at the world famous Duke Medical center and had been the author of several well received articles in medical journals around the world, so most, if not everyone who met her, respected her opinions to the fullest.

There was one thing though that she did not actively share with her patients and fellow medical professionals; Dr. Sandeep was a devout Hindu. In the medical, as well as the scholarly community, religious devotion is often looked down upon. Therefore the doctor, who hailed from the northern India, did not willingly divulge this information. It was her vast knowledge of her religion that led her to believe, after closely watching the pack men, that they were descendants of the Rigvedic god, Rudra. As a child her wizened grandfather would tell her of the gods and their children. Rudra, the Howler or the Wild One in recent years, has become morphed into a synonym for Shiva, but Rudra, the god of the storm, could not be any more different.

Despite the god's malevolent connotations, Vinisha did not worry about any of the dozen or so children she handed off to these men, because although Dr. Sandeep had the immense pleasure of experiencing the miracle of life every day, she rarely saw a father whose happiness could match that of these La Push Rudra men upon first laying eyes on their little ones. This was what mattered most, and she had since had the honor of seeing some of their progeny healthy and mature, building families of their own.

"Oh, Ms. Ateara, right on schedule, are we?" Vinisha said as she walked into the room. She had gotten a semi-private room, the other side still vacant, though the curtain was drawn anyways.

"A little early I guess, this wasn't supposed to happen till after Thanksgiving," Claire said as Quil nimbly massaged her lower back. It was about 3:45 am, the morning of November 22nd 2029, Thanksgiving. She had planned to eat herself through plates of food before the excuse of being pregnant was gone and she made sure to mention it to the doctor.

 _'In the early stages of labor woman are likely to be excited and talkative,'_ this was a sentence Quil remembered well from his research, trying to stay positive though he felt as though he had been run over by a car. Sympathy pains.

Both Jared and Collin had warned him of them, they had both experienced it with their children, three times for Jared, which he assured was only infinitesimally as bad as the guilt you felt after missing the birth all together, as he had with Amber. On the night of Amber's birth, Jared had the misfortune of patrolling in a group that was tracking a coven of vampires, by the time he was informed that she was in labor and doubled back to the hospital Amber Lee Cameron was already checked, cleaned, and named.

"Well, Claire, most children decide their time to come into the world. So once they make the descent, it is exactly the right time," Vinisha said with a warm smile, patting Claire hand softly while looking over her charts. "And by the look of these charts, you still have a long way to go, you are less than one centimeter dilated. So you, Mr. Ateara, just take a deep breath alright, save that anxiety for later."

At eight in the morning, when Amber could no longer ignore the beeping reminder of a text message, she walked across her room, flipping open her purple cell phone, a present from Solace she was itching to replace. She raced out her room before she even finished. Her mother and father's room was on the far end of the hall, and she burst inside without even thinking to knock. Bad idea. After years of living in this house, she should have known better.

"Uh, Jared," Kim breathed, snuggled under a thin sheet with Jared's full muscled body covering her, rocking forward to a smooth rhythm.

"EWW! It's 8 in the morning!" Amber screamed, slamming the door behind her. Annabelle, now six years old stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes with the back of her little hands with sparkly pink polish Brady had helped her apply.

"Amber, shut up! I was trying to sleep," she said drowsily. Annabelle was aggravated, annoyed, and overall sleepy.

The night before was a true test to how addicted she was to her imprint, Brady. Annabelle had stretched herself to the limit, staying awake as long as her little eyes would stay open so she could stay up with him, before Kim said he had to go home. Kim did not believe in giving her children a bedtime when they didn't have school in the morning, she felt it was a smart way to teach them independence, but she did take a strong stance against grown men sleeping in her daughters' bed.

"Claire's in the hospital! She's having the baby! We have to go now, the message is like 4 hours old!" Amber screamed, waiting for her parents to get decent and join them in the hall.

"I'll call Brady," Annabelle screamed running down the stairs to get the kitchen phone, but he was already there, waiting in wolf form outside for the first signs of life in the Cameron home. He now lived on the opposite corner of town in a small house next to Solace's old apartment, which he left for Taylor and Phil use, paid in full for the year. Brady almost never stayed in his new home. His fear was that even at his wolf speed, it would take too long to get to Annabelle in case of an emergency and with no remaining wolves in the house, Annabelle was not as safe as he'd like her to be.

"He's outside already, I can smell him," Jared called down and as if by clockwork, Brady ambled through the front door, opening his arms wide for Annabelle to jump in.

"HURRY UP!" Amber yelled up from the foot of the stairs but Kim and Jared were already on their way, shooting instructions to Brady before they whisked away.

"I'm tired, Brady," Annabelle whined and without instruction, he settled into the couch letting her use him as her favorite pillow.

 **Active labor- 1:15pm**

It had been nine hours since Claire checked in but she was till at only 3 centimeters of dilation. Amber and Kim stayed by her side as Jared, an old hand at this baby thing, pulled Quil away for some fresh air.

"I'm never going to touch her again, not without condoms, birth control, shit, I might even get nipped like Collin," Quil said, dropping down on a bench near the north side of the hospital. Collin and Helen had only one child and they would only ever have one child because after eight months of strained pregnancy, baby Randy huge as he was, caused Helen's tiny body too much stress. Born 24 days premature and still 13 pounds, Collin's hair went prematurely white around the temple and he volunteered quite willingly to get a vasectomy.

"Aw, he's a wimp, Taylor came out feet first and kicking. Annabelle had the cord wrapped around her little neck and they had to do an emergency c-section, he got off easy," Jared said sitting back against the wood planks of the old fashioned bench.

"Nine hours, Jared. I feel like, like I have something about to burst out of my stomach."

"Well, it's not fair if she's the only one in pain," Jared said with a chuckle.

"How much longer do you think?" Quil asked feeling for the first time in a long time like a child, a child about to have a baby girl.

"Well, I didn't really look down there so I can't say," Jared joked, but Quil wasn't laughing. "Probably a few more hours."

"A few more hours!" Both Quil and Claire exclaimed from different parts of the hospital. Claire was being helped around the room by Kim, a trick the doctor hoped would help her dilate a bit faster.

"Ethan took twelve hours, but after him, they were all pretty quick. Amber here took less than two hours," Kim said pointing back at the girl. Amber had often fantasized about her flock of Solace-babies but right now, watching Claire's sweating face, she was starting to think her future as an unloved spinster might not be too bad.

"I'm scared, Kim," Claire said squeezing her hand as her tenth contraction of the hour washed over her in a wave of menacing pain and discomfort.

"Billions of women before you, billions of women after you, honey, you can do this," Kim said chancing a glance at her daughter who sat apprehensively in the corner.

"No… I mean, what am I doing Kim? What if—what if I'm a terrible mother? How do I even do it? What do I do?" She asked seriously. Kim knew the question well, she asked herself those questions before every birth and now with a half empty home and her girls growing so quickly she still didn't know. Was she a good mother? She had tried, there was no doubt in her mind that she had tried her hardest, but had she succeeded?

"You'll do fine, Claire, promise," she said as Dr. Sandeep entered the room again, Claire's mother Joanna and Quil trailing behind.

"Mommy," Claire cried and with that Kim passed her over, giving Claire one big loving kiss and leading her daughter out the door.

"I'm never going to have a baby," Amber said seriously.

"Well, if you do I'll be there, Amber," Kim said kissing her daughter's soft hair.

"If I can't have Solace's babies, there is no one worth going through that pain for," Amber said as they met her father in the parking lot.

"I didn't go through that pain for your father, baby, I went through it for you…and it was worth it."

 **Transition- 10:29pm**

"I'm serious, Quil, I love you but if you don't get out of my face, right now, I'm going to hurt you!" Claire screamed with so much force, it looked as if she were close to busting a vein in her neck. He backed away slowly, his hands palm forward and above his head.

She was in the last stage of labor, the shortest but hardest part. She was at nine centimeters of dilation, which everyone seemed to be genuinely excited about and experiencing hot and cold flashes which matched her cycling mood. When she was cold, her legs and lips trembling, she would pull him to her, kiss him, cry on his shoulder, squeeze his hands tightly during contractions, which were so close together and so long that they were starting to overlap.

During her hot flashes she would push him away, chew on ice chips menacingly and promise never to touch him again between heated insults, which were so painful to hear he was sure he'd never get his sex drive back to begin with, but it was close to the end. Nineteen hours from the starting point and it was almost over.

Dr. Sandeep and a team of two midwives were ready and waiting, encouraging her as Maddox crowned, the top of her head now just visible. In the waiting room, Leticia, Emily, Kim, Helen, Anna and Rachel waited with Claire's father. The wolf-girls came down together after dessert, leaving their kids with the men and coming down to support their sister. The wait was nerve-wrecking especially for Emily, her niece struggling inside with a labor that doubled hers, it was agreed; Claire was the winner. The wolf-girls felt her pain and decided hands down Claire deserved the prize, not one of them would ever have the right to tell their labor stories ever again, but to Claire it was all worth it.

She was exhausted. Over twenty-four hours without sleep and hours of strained labor but she was here, weighing just six pounds eight ounces, Maddox Shay Ateara was beautiful.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: I'm Not a Pedophile**

* * *

"This third one is the last," Claire sighed rolling over on her side and pointing at her growing belly.

"I said we should stop at one, the third trimester of Bad Claire is almost upon us," Quil chuckled pulling Claire in for a kiss.

"If we stopped at one, we wouldn't have Harley," she sighed kissing him back with a passion that promised more, the kind of more that got them into this mess in the first place.

"Well, this time I'm prepared, I've made a combat bag to ward myself from your evils," Quil joked climbing in between her legs. "I'm not allowing any more incidents with my junk."

"Is that what the duffle bag is?" Claire asked urging his shirt off. His chest was still broad and muscled but since he stopped phasing the year before telltale signs of the tiniest bit of pudge showed around his midsection, Claire loved it. He was aging, however slowly, with her and all felt right with the world.

"Yup, jock strap complete with cup, chewy snacks to distract you, ear plugs for when you plan on describing in detail how much you hate me, a handheld video game and a flame thrower, you know the essentials," he whispered in her ear, running his hand up the inside of her thigh and under her underwear. She bucked into his hand surprised but thrilled at the reaction, they hadn't gotten much time alone lately, their youngest daughter Harley Jo Ateara now three-years old making it nearly impossible. Almost as soon as the first moan escaped her lips their bedroom door flew open and in ran the precious toddler in question.

"Mommy!" Harley cried, pulling up the sheets at the bottom of Claire and Quil's bed so she could tunnel her way to the top. Quil and Claire had been prepared for this, Harley was going through a phase where sleeping in her own bed was a nightly struggle. So they rolled apart allowing room for the littlest Ateara to snuggle.

"Shut up!" Maddox screamed from her room, which was facing theirs and had its door open so the five-year old could enjoy the lights from the hallway while still feeling like a big girl without having a nightlight on her dresser anymore.

The Ateara's, four strong and growing with their third and final babe now baking in the oven, had moved into this house just two months ago. It was rather large and a bit more opulent than they ever imagined but after Claire finally found commercial success with her prints and Quil moved on to teaching side by side with Jordan at Peninsula College, they could afford it.

The house took three months to prepare, Claire working single handedly to paint, wallpaper and furnish every room in the four bedroom, three bathroom house to her liking—the girls, however, did not approve. Harley, the youngest and most outspoken Ateara, likened the house to a creepy museum and instead of spending her nights in her custom made flower-shaped bed, she ran nightly to her parents' room, to sleep safe and warm between them.

"Maddox, what did we say about language?" Claire called through her now open door from which she had a clear view of her oldest child.

"I can't sleep and Lee is being stupid!" Maddie screamed back. She couldn't sleep, try as she might to get comfortable in the garden like fortress her mother made for her, she was restless. It had started three hours before and had only gotten worse, as if there was something just beyond her doors that she needed to find.

"Maddie, no name calling," Quil said sternly but his bright smile shone through the room. He loved both of his children dearly but there was just something about a potty-mouthed five-year old that warmed his heart.

"I can't sleep and I'm tired," Maddox reasoned, kicking her sheets off and walking out of her room. She followed the nagging desire for adventure down the hallway where a large glass window looked out on the street. It was still early, her parents having set a 9 o'clock bedtime for the both of them, which she found rather unreasonable considering she was a whole two years older than her bratty little sister.

"Maddox, you need to get to bed. You have camp in the morning," Quil called following her into the hall. She had opened the window and as Quil went to close it back up, he smelled him. "Solace."

"What's a solace?" Maddox asked, clinging to her father's leg as a dark figure travelled up their driveway.

"It's a man. Solace is here," Quil called and the round bellied Claire struggled to get herself up and to the living room, pushing little Maddox back towards her garden-themed bedroom.

"In bed, now. You too, Lee," Claire said pointing her youngest towards her own bedroom, she was determined to get some Quil loving before she was too angry to want it.

"What's he doing here?" Claire asked coolly. Over the last five years Claire and Amber had grown rather close. Actually to say close is an understatement, Amber was elevated to the status of little sister in Claire's eyes and as such she had formed some rather unpleasant opinions of him.

Solace had ruined her Amber for other men—it was as if Amber was the lost half of an imprint, she became cold, disconnected, much more so than before. She was grown now, nineteen and stunningly beautiful though her sour attitude and wild best friend, Soledad, scared every worthwhile potential suitor away.

"He's come home," Quil answered heading to the door.

"Well, he's not welcome," Claire hissed and Quil frowned sighing before he opened the door for him. He looked the same, the same brooding eyes and casual clothes, the same reckless hair and gorgeous face and something about that made Claire even more upset. Part of her had hoped he was suffering because at least then Amber wasn't alone.

Socially, Amber had little to no friends and her steaming temper didn't help much. She wasn't a bad girl, in fact to the contrary, she was a good girl with a big heart, who loved and spoiled her daughters with affection only family could give. She wasn't letting anyone in though, like a huge wall between her and the outside world and when you added to that the unsavory connection to Soledad Call, Embry's oldest child, it was a lethal combination: a troubled teen.

Soledad was actually the definition of a troubled teen, though technically she was just nine. Because of her vampire blood, Soledad matured at almost double the rate making her biologically at least eighteen years old. She had more or less caught up with Amber physically just a year or so back and the union was not ideal in Claire's eyes. Claire tried to keep her opinions about Soledad to herself and let Amber live her life but it was hard. In her opinion only time and new love could bring Amber out of this rut but all Soledad offered was wild partying and sex. Soledad was uncontrollable and outrageous with no moral compass and an attitude that was unmatched. She embodied the ideas of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and worst of all, she was smart. So smart in fact that she had most people fooled, but not Claire.

Claire tried to discourage the union between Soli and Amber, but when it started to put a distance between them, she decided to play the cool big sister and let it happen. She blamed it on Solace though. Not many people understood how deeply he influenced her life, most thought of it as a childhood crush but it was the single most damaging event in the unfortunate girl's life. Time healed the wounds of losing her brother, Ethan, and over time even she began to understand why he needed to go and occasionally took his phone calls, but no time could fix the empty hole left by Solace. In her eyes it affirmed every fear she ever had, unimprinted in a sea of imprints, his exit proved that she was not worthy of love, most importantly the love of her Solace who meant more to her than anyone or anything else.

He was her brother, her companion, her teacher, confidant, comfort, support: in short he was her sun and, in the five years since he left, she was cast into darkness. It affected every aspect of her most vital teen years, down to the dark black of her dyed hair and the thick coal liner that hid the pools of her sad maroon eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Claire spat viscously as Quil motioned Solace inside. Solace took the greeting in stride, he had no idea what he'd return to, though Claire was not one of the few he'd imagined blacklisting him. Jared, Kim, Taylor, Amber, Embry just for a reason to hate him again and Emily maybe, but not Claire. Growing up she had been one of his favorites, but his feisty mini-minx was now superbly round with pregnancy and royally pissed.

"I was told the apartment above your shop is um… available for rent," Solace said scratching the back of his neck as Claire scrutinized him, sincerely wishing he could melt into nonexistence.

This was his second stop in La Push, heading to the Cameron home straight from the airport. His first stop was equally unwelcoming.

Amber. She was why he came back. He had nothing else left here but Amber and she didn't want to see him.

Amber. She was breathtaking, so beautiful he had a hard time speaking and an even harder time leaving her again. He had been forced to.

Amber.

Amber.

Amber.

There was not a day in the last decade of his life when he hadn't thought about the girl, and now seeing her as a woman the thoughts transformed. Changed so drastically that it scared him. Terror.

Amber. He had spent the last five years relieving himself of the loss Leticia and Leah and now there was Amber, who he could already feel himself getting lost in.

Amber.

He'd seen Amber in many lights: friend, confidant, supporter, advisor, sister, mother even but never had he seen her as a lover, potential or otherwise. He had of course thought about the possibility of her childhood crush lasting past adolescence, how that would affect him and how he would deal with it, but he never imagined he would want it. Need it.

Amber… Breathtaking. Magnificent. Fiery. Broken. Amber.

Solace had returned for her, for her friendship, which he found after years of self-reflection to be the only real relationship he'd ever experienced. It didn't last, the distance or the time, as he had hoped it would. It was Amber's request for him to leave and not Jared's threats of physical violence that forced him to go, but he vowed he would never disappoint her again. He would do anything she asked him to and wait, he had the rest of his life to wait for her to forgive him.

"How long do you plan to stay?" Quil asked politely, desperate to pull his lost brother into a hug but afraid of his pregnant wife's wrath.

"If you don't want the rent, I'll stay at the Cullen's mansion in Forks, Carlisle has given me access. I'd just prefer to be closer," Solace said quickly, he wanted away from Claire's judging eyes.

"No, no. Here," Quil said returning with a key ring he tossed at him casually.

"Closer to what Solace?" Claire asked scathingly.

"Amber," he responded simply but the new found emotion must have been evident in his voice because it caused Claire to scream in anger.

"UGH! How dare you? What the fuck is wrong with you? What? She turns 18 and you think you can come back and make her your girl!" Claire howled.

"Ooohhh! Mommy said FUCK!" Maddox sang from her bed. In truth she just wanted an opportunity to say the word, which she was thoroughly banned from saying since she overheard her Aunt Amber say it.

"Come on," Quil called pulling him out the door as Maddox came out to investigate. He was gone before she could get a good look at him, but she noticed that he was tall like her play boyfriend Taylor, who she wished wholeheartedly was hers and not Melody's.

"I'm sorry," Quil apologized once they were on the large wrap-around porch.

"No. I get it… sorta."

"Claire and Amber have been close since you left. Claire's very…invested, she thinks you're the reason that Amber's… _Amber_ ," Quil said quietly.

"What do you mean Amber's _Amber_?" Solace said louder than necessary, an anger flaring so powerfully in his stomach he flinched. He hadn't felt anything this real for a long time, working alone beside indifferent vampires for so long. Defensive, the feeling was defensiveness it took him a while to identify it.

"She's…well, she's great, I love her… but she's difficult—a little rough around the edges. She hates you, you know?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have come back," Solace sighed leaning against the pillar.

"Why did you?" Quil asked trying hard to sound neutral, but over time he started to see Amber as one of his own and Solace had hurt her bad.

"Amber. No-not like that I mean…I don't know what I mean. I thought about her all the time… not sex! God, why is this so much harder to explain now? If I came back four years ago no one would—she's my friend. My best friend—more than that. I mean, ugh! I'm not a pedophile." Quil laughed. It had been a long time since he'd had to say that sentence, though he'd said it many times before.

"I know."

"I love her so much—in a completely appropriate way. I came back because I loved her and I made a mistake and I couldn't stand not hearing from her anymore. She stopped writing and I missed her like oxygen. I want to fix it, it sounds so stupid because she was just a girl but she was the most important person in my life. She was the only one that believed in me and I fucked it up," Solace said seriously, but not honestly.

Honestly, at this moment, there was more than friendship on the line, because there was not a woman in the world he desired so fully as Amber. It was disturbing, damaging even because just nights ago when he thought of her, he saw only his precious Princess and now he saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Not even his most vivid memories of Leah or Leticia could compare.

"That was before you saw her," Quil corrected.

"Yes," Solace breathed, collapsing on the top stair.

"But that's not why I came, I didn't think—I couldn't have known. Fuck! I should go, I shouldn't have come back here," Solace said standing to leave, Quil stopped him.

Quil had known Solace for more than two decades, seen inside his head more times than he could count and he knew three very real things about him. Solace was honest. Solace was loyal. And Solace was lost, he always had been—he followed his heart and it always led him in circles, this time though it led him back to Amber and in Quil's opinion that might be the only place he belonged.

"She's tough but deep down, and I mean really deep, she loves you. So good luck man…and welcome home," Quil said pulling Solace into a hug. It was the first hug he received since getting off the plane.

Leticia and Claire had come to an understanding long ago, while Leticia embraced Soli's wild ways she knew that Claire did not approve and they did not discuss it. While Claire blamed Solace for abandoning Amber, Leticia saw nothing wrong with the girl. Leticia vision might have been skewed though by the disturbing social life of her daughter, who enjoy the company of more men than any teen girl should.

Soledad was her own free spirit and Leticia would never dream of stifling her, but Leticia also understood that this uninhibited lifestyle was likely to make her an outcast. Soledad wore the banner of black sheep well. Soli was beautiful, opinionated, but above all else, she had an IQ well over the average and she was immortal, which made her a strong believer in the idea that the rules just didn't apply to her.

So today, the day after Solace's big return without Solace or Amber to discuss, Claire and Letty kept to the safe subject of her pregnancy. She was three months and growing faster than with any of her previous births which made her strongly believe this time she would be having a boy.

"Freddie was not much bigger than Soli but I just knew he was a boy," Leticia cooed. Her youngest child, the adorable though solemn Fredrico was now six years old. He was handsome, even at the ripe old age of six he was a stunner, capable of getting just about anything out of unsuspecting women with just a few shy smiles. Last summer he had finally caught up to Randy in biological age, though not size because Randy (standing at 5 foot 7) was possibly the largest eleven-year old in the world, possibly in history. He still followed Soledad patiently though now that she was mobile and free to roam the town, he was restricted to stalking her whenever she returned home as she was now.

"Home," Soli announced, Randy running from the living room to greet her.

"Hi Soli," Randy said with a chubby cheeked grin, he was large yes but he still retained the standard look of a chubby eleven-year old.

"Don't call me that," she spat, not looking in his direction, he nodded furiously as if he were memorizing her request.

"Solace!" Soledad screamed grabbing a chair which she sat back on, bringing her legs to her chest as she prepared for girl talk. "So hot! So so so hot! Mama, I cannot believe you were with him! How was it?"

"Soli, ahora no es el momento, okay?" Leticia breathed in soft Spanish hoping her daughter would get the hint.

"Why? Come on it's just us girls, right?" Soli asked wriggling her eyebrows wildly. "And Randy," she shot throwing a sidelong glare at the boy who stood a few feet away from her so that he could keep a watchful eye but was not in reaching distance for punches.

"Soledad, you know what disturbs me most about you—no, too many things disturb me about you to give them rank, but there is one thing I was most certain we would agree on and that was Amber's well being. I cannot even begin to phantom how you can be so casual about the emotional stability of your so called best friend. Not to mention the gross lack of boundaries you have presented in this crude discussion of previous sexual activities not only in front of your mother but with her," Claire said calmly, speaking to her as she had with most of her students when she worked in the high school.

"Well, Mrs. Ateara, I find that when it comes to my **best friend's** life choices, it's best to support her in whatever path she so chooses to take. She is no longer a child and as such should not be treated like one," Soledad answered quickly, with the tone and cadence of a lawyer. She continued with her signature sass when she said, "And as for my mother, just because you're too much of a prude to talk about sex doesn't mean we can't." She lit up a cigarette, it was black and smelled sweet, blowing three large smoke rings before she bowed out, Randy following closely behind.

"I'm going to go," Claire said standing to leave.

"She's a beech sometimes but she is right ju know," Leticia sighed, preparing herself for Claire's wrath.

"I'm not a prude!" Claire screamed and Leticia laughed, a gut wrenching laugh before she spoke again.

"About Solace, if he can make her happy then we must accept, no?"

"No," Claire said simply waving goodbye to the little boys, nodding curtly to both Soledad and Leticia and making her way home where at least her husband would agree with her. She had no such luck.

" **You what?!** "

"I told him he could stay as long as he needed while he gets settled. He was going to stay anyways Claire-bear," Quil reasoned pulling out the comfy chair for his wife.

"No! No! No! This cannot be happening! Don't you realize how sick this is, Quil?" She was sweating, so thoroughly upset she needed a rest.

"I'm going to take a nap," she announced dragging herself to her bedroom with an overwhelming sense of doom. Something told her things were not going to go her way and she was right, because just as she lie her head on the pillow Amber made her way to him.

She didn't even last twenty-four hours. She kicked herself for being so weak but she had to see him. Part of her wouldn't believe it was real until she saw him in the light of day, so she stomped on over, hands balled into tight fists of rage.

Rage.

Most of it for him, though some of it was for Ethan who had not returned with him and herself for taking two hours getting ready to confront him, full makeup and all. Solace had left the door unlocked, open for Amber if she decided to come.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, dropping to his knees before her. He'd never begged a woman, for anything, but then he never hurt anyone the way he had hurt Amber. He was the heartbroken not the heartbreaker, so it was warranted.

"Don't say those fucking words to me! They don't mean shit! You promised!" Her voice cracked on the last syllable and she cursed herself for her weakness, though the sign of an emotion other than hatred lit a bright flame of hope in Solace's chest.

She was even more magnificent in the daylight and while he tried not to stare he could barely stop himself. She wore a black raincoat, with knee high black boots and either a dress so short it didn't show under her short coat or nothing at all—but that might have been his imagination getting the better of him.

Staring down at his big brown eyes was slowly melting her cold heart and she hated it. She had spent years thinking of what she's say if she ever seen him again, but she hadn't prepared herself for him apologizing. In her mind he was always cold—indifferent, it made it easier to hurt him. It made it easier to curse him, because remembering Solace as he was, as the constant companion and reliable mentor just made it that much harder to understand.

In her mind he was dimensionless and grey like the men in black and white films—he was never this gorgeous. He was never this obviously broken, like a cracked vase shining beautifully in its many different parts. Her childhood memory of him fell flat. Every line of his face was perfectly balanced.

"I have never regretted anything so much as this, Princess. I stayed here for you. I wanted to leave when Ethan imprinted on Jake's daughter. Ethan asked me to come but I stayed for you. You can't understand how bad I hurt here, but I stayed for—"

"I can't understand? Really? REALLY!? Fuck you, Solace," She screamed grabbing the old rotary phone off the coffee table and slamming it with all of her force into his face. His nose spout violently, Amber pulling back to strike again but seeing him in pain hurt too much. She never stopped praying for him return. She never believed it would happen but it remained her deepest desire.

"No, hit me again," he urged, she dropped the phone staring down horrified at the blood on her hands. She removed her rain coat to reveal a pair of short back shorts and a tank top in midnight blue.

"I can't," she sighed, dropping her dewy coat on the chair and kneeling in front of him. He removed his t-shirt, using it to quell the gushing blood from his very broken nose. When he snapped it back in place with an eerie creak she sobbed.

"I deserve it."

"You do!" She howled. "Every day, Solace! Every fucking day I dreamed of you. I prayed. I cried, I never once forgot how much I love you and it hurts!" She screamed crying in earnest now. She was only 13 when he left five year and 5 months ago but she loved him. People would scoff but she knew, her one-sided first love was real.

"I wrote you everyday. Amber, for every hundred letters I sent you, I had hundreds more I was too chicken-shit to send. I missed you. You're the only thing in this town for me. I came back for you."

"Letters! Fuck letters, Solace! Letters didn't comfort me when I started high school with no friends! Letters didn't tell me I was beautiful when I needed it so bad! Your letters made you feel better about breaking your promise but they just reminded me that I wasn't enough for you to stay," she said taking the shirt from his hands and running it under the tap, wringing out the bloody water before she returned to wipe his face clean. She was gentle, kneeling in front of him to pay special attention to the caked blood at the top of his lip.

"I didn't know, Amber. If I knew it would affect you like this I wouldn't have left you. I didn't think… I didn't know you cared so much, I'm so—" She stopped him, pressing the wet cloth against his lips.

"Don't," she warned, sliding the cloth down to catch the streaks of blood that dried near his chin.

"Sorry. So fucking sorry," Solace insisted, pulling her closer. Touching her was different now, her body larger and more shapely, in the nicest possible way.

He hadn't been with a woman since Leah, and it had been a very long, lonely stretch. She wanted to push him away but she couldn't find the willpower, wrapping her arms around his neck the way she had many years before and he took that as an okay to pull her even closer, his arms settling in the deep indents of her waist.

"I don't know if I can forgive you, Solace," she cried, the tears on his shoulder burned.

"Please don't cry," he pleaded, softly brushing the excess tears off her high cheekbones like he did when she was a child, it made her cry harder.

"Princess Pretty Face, please," he whispered in her ear. The warmth of his breath on her sensitive skin was electrifying.

She tilted her head up to catch a glimpse of his eyes, which had changed since she last saw him. Everything else stayed the same but his eyes were different, she couldn't read them. He traced her cheekbones again which were Kim's cheekbones. Feminine and defined now that she lost her childhood pounds.

"You are so beautiful," he exclaimed without decorum, he couldn't help himself. She wiped at her eyes, making dark tracks of her mascara and eyeliner.

"Why did you come back?" she asked frantically, she desperately needed him to say it again.

"For you."

"I don't need a wolf protector anymore, Solace. I can take care of myself. ANd I don't need a half-assed friend either," she said pulling him even closer still, so that her body was pressing flush against his.

"Then I'll be whatever you do need," he gulped, allowing his hand to travel from her hair down to the deep incline of her back just above the summit of her round bottom; too afraid to go any farther.

"Kiss me," she offered, like a suggestion moving her head ever so slightly to side. He inhaled her scent which affected him so differently now. As a child she smelled sweet like caramel, now that caramel was mixed with a musk, hot and sensual, all Amber.

Amber. Soft, warm, perfect. The best kiss of his very long life.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: I Can't Believe This is Happening**

* * *

 _ **October 31st 2032: The Announcement**_

"I can't believe this is happening," Helen whispered in Claire's ear as Soledad and her new boyfriend Rex arrived, followed closely by Amber and Solace.

Amber and Soledad, big fans of the dark holiday, came in matching "cat" costumes, which in their world translated to cat ears on top of skimpy outfits. Solace didn't take his eyes off of Amber. He was enthralled, his big hand gripping onto her waist tightly as if he couldn't breathe without her by his side and anyone with eyes could see why.

Amber sauntered in the house wearing a strapless black mini dress that hugged her hourglass figure as if it were painted on. Besides a portion of her coppery toned thighs, her legs were covered by high black boots with a heel that made her almost as tall as Solace. She glowed, more beautiful than Claire ever imagined she could be and beaming from ear to ear. She wore cute little black cat ears and painted whiskers, giggling at whispered words from Solace as Soledad slid past her in a matching white getup.

This was the second Halloween where the duo wore matching sexy costumes and Soli's boyfriend Rex tried to play it cool. He was a drummer, the drummer for her electro-metal thrash band Venom, and as such he took being cool and aloof as a job. He didn't cling to her; in fact, he barely looked at her, bobbing his head to the music though every wolf around him, including her father Embry, could hear his accelerated heartbeat every time Soli came near. He wasn't the only one who watched her, poor pre-teen Randy ran off early, heading out to trick-or-treat when the sight of her created an awkward tightness in his pants.

The annual Halloween party that started in Amber's honor five years before was being held at Collin and Helen's house this year, because it was incidentally also their 18th wedding anniversary. Halloween was hands down Helen's favorite holiday, as everyone in La Push was well aware. She spent the weeks leading up to the holiday decorating like most people did for Christmas. From her backyard to the very farthest reaching point of her back lawn, the Littlesea house was decked with pumpkins, skeletons, ghost, and even plastic Draculas.

"Love is the best beautician, no?" Leticia said beaming. She ran to the couples, giving big kisses all around; Solace didn't even glance at her. He smiled in her general direction and chatted with her politely but his eyes were only for Amber.

He didn't stare at Leticia in longing anymore, quite the opposite, he barely noticed her or anyone else in the room, including Leah who came down with her new husband, Greg, and stepdaughter, April ,who was now ten like Melody and enjoyed her time in La Push more than Leah ever did. If Solace did look away from Amber for even a second, he would have seen three people of interest, Claire included, who glared at him with very thinly veiled contempt.

"I've gotta go," Kim hissed, giving Brady instructions for 11-year old Annabelle's return and pulling Jared towards the door.

Amber had moved in with Solace only days after he arrived and they had not been apart for more than a few hours since, which caused quite the stir in the Cameron house. Amber didn't pay the other Comaerons any mind, she loved her family, all of them, including her extended family members Brady, Melody and even Ethan's imprint Elena— but if they were going to try to get in the way of her happiness, they weren't her family at all.

"Mommy, please," Amber pleaded at the door. She wanted her mother here for their big announcement, no matter the reaction, but when Jared glared Kim shrugged, following her husband home.

Kim wanted Amber to be happy, desperately so, she had seen Amber sad for too long, but there were just too many things to worry about when it came to Solace. His flight mentality for one: he ran when things got bad. His flip-flopping love was another worry. Just within the pack circle he had "loved" Anna, Leticia and Leah, what's to say Amber was not just another stop. The biggest worry though, the one that scared everyone, including Amber: the possibility of imprinting. Kim wanted to talk it out, her babies were her life but Jared was still too pissed to see straight. When Amber was born, his first daughter, there was a feeling of euphoria, of overwhelming love that had not subdued over time—Jared wanted the best for Amber and Solace was not it.

Jared loved Solace. He knew Solace, better than any of the women in their circle. He had been in his mind. He knew his strengths and he knew his weaknesses. Were it any other girl, he would have encouraged it, but not his Amber. Not after he had hurt her so thoroughly the first time around, before sex and love were involved.

They were not a well received couple, it wasn't everyone who disapproved exactly, just everyone who mattered most to Amber. Jared went in cycles from mad to nervous, Leah— Amber's favorite aunt, was all around furious. She wasn't jealous, she had let go of Solace long ago and was happy, so very happy with her little family that she couldn't stop smiling, but Solace was an adult, an adult who knew that at any moment he could reduce Amber to nothing with just a simple glance.

Her siblings were a tad bit more accepting. While Ethan the oldest Cameroon sibling was weary. Not weary of Solace who he loved dearly, but of an unimprinted amalgamation. He tried to keep the peace, but from his position in Europe it was difficult. Taylor, the calmest most reasonable Cameron in La Push had taken a week to adjust, but was now of the same mind. He was not worried about Solace's age or intentions, he knew Solace and appreciated everything Solace did for his family, but as someone who had hurt a lover with their imprint he had nightmares about his sister's possible heart break. Annabelle, the youngest, most carefree Cameron adored her sister Amber and trusted her decision. She was the only Cameron who was a hundred percent on board with their union, unfortunately as an 11-year old her opinion held the least weight.

As for the rest of the pack and extended family, only Claire vehemently opposed. Some were concerned, others disturbed, but only Claire was angry. It wasn't just about Solace, who she started to accept as Amber's soul mate, it was Amber. For the last five years, Claire and Amber had stuck together like a special unit; Claire hadn't missed one moment in Amber's teen years, and likewise, Amber had been there for her. Now though, in the last month since Solace's return Claire was all but pushed entirely out of her life. It was childish of her but Claire had been keeping a list of Amber's disappointing absences and it was growing.

 **Amber's Attendance for the Month of October:**

Weekly wolf girl Sunday brunch- Absent (thrice)

Doctors Appointment- Absent (it's a boy)

Monthly Farmers market- Absent (Amber's favorite organic pomegranates on sale)

Soledad's band debut show/bar riot- Absent (five arrested including Embry and Soli)

Maddox's first tooth falls out- Absent (Maddie cried until she was stuffed full of ice cream)

The pack Halloween party- Present (however presence was negated by her attachment to Solace which resembled conjoined twins)

"Hey, Claire," Amber whispered, standing in front of her like a guilty student in the principal's office.

"Hey, Amber. Hi, Solace," Claire said as warmly as she could muster. She was grateful to him, terribly so—she hadn't seen Amber truly smile since she was a child, but she was also hormonally pregnant and jealous. Quil knew, they hadn't talked it out, but he knew as well as she did that part of her disapproval to their love stemmed from the fact that Claire missed Amber's presence. He tried to make up for it by pampering her and accompanying her to every event she would have otherwise gone to with Amber, but it just wasn't the same.

"I heard it's a boy," Amber said smiling.

"Congratulation," Solace said, his head aimed at Claire but his eyes concentrated on Amber's profile.

"MOMMY!" Maddox cried, running to Claire's side followed by her tail Harley and gripping hard onto Claire's leg.

"What Maddie?" Claire said warmly, bending at the waist as best she could with her wide belly so she could be closer to eye level. She was crying, bawling actually, her little hands clenched into fist.

"MEL HIT ME! FUCKING FUCK!" She howled, shaking her little fists in rage. Quil came to the rescue, scooping up his little potty mouthed Princess, and trying to look stern.

"We can't say that word in any form remember, Maddie?" Quil said kissing her on her flustered little red cheeks. He rubbed Harley's head for good measure and the younger girl smiled, turning back to the other kids and joining them in a rousing game of hide behind the furniture.

"Why did she hit you, Maddox?" Amber asked warmly. The two were close but she knew just as well as Claire that when the other kids hit her there was usually a good reason. Maddie wasn't a trouble maker per say, she was just a bit rambunctious and Melody was not a likely attacker, considering her advanced age of 10 and her demure demeanor, so Maddox must have done something big.

"I kissed Taylor," Maddox said as if this were a normal everyday occurrence.

Amber laughed, the sweetest sound to Solace's ears, he nuzzled her neck inhaling her delicious scent as if it would soon disappear. He'd never smelled anything so intoxicating in his life, he never felt anything as amazing as the soft indent of her waist, he'd never loved anyone with such burning passion.

Amber was it.

"Well, you shouldn't be kissing boys that don't belong to you, missy," Amber giggled, kissing her goddaughter's forehead before leaning into Solace's heat again.

"Can we tell them?" Amber whispered, her plump lips brushing against his earlobe, it sent the deepest electric jolt through his body and he knew. He knew then, beyond a doubt, that he couldn't live without her and he could never ever hurt her again.

He knew it with all of his being.

Even as Maddox turned to him, pointing frantically for him and Amber to look at her missing tooth.

Even as his eyes met hers and he felt the lock, the physical pull that cemented his connection with Maddox.

Even as he felt all the wheels of his heart and mind click into place, binding him to Maddox.

He turned away, though his eyes wanted to stay on Maddox, he pulled them back where they belonged, with Amber.

"Yeah. Um, COUGH COUGH," Solace called, trying to catch everyone's attention. Quil was frozen, glued unpleasantly in place unsure of what he just witnessed. He had seen it many times but he could have been mistaken. Was he the only one? Was he the only person that saw it, saw the signature slack jawed stare of an imprint? No matter the speedy recovery time, surely that was it.

"We have an announcement," Amber called practically bouncing, everyone was looking at them now, though they had been pointedly looking away just moments before.

"You're getting married," Taylor sighed, pinching the bridge of him nose as little Melody latched herself securely around his waist. She wasn't quite at the age where Taylor could see her as anything more than a sister, but that didn't stop her from feeling it for him. Within recent months she spent every moment she could touching him, his arms, his shoulders, his hair—she was a tween in love.

"Don't ruin our announcement Tay, we—" Amber started to scream, but Solace stopped her with a kiss, his tongue gently exploring her mouth before he pulled away. He allowed himself a glance, the quickest most innocent glance at Maddox before he spoke.

"We're getting married," he confirmed and like a dutiful family would, they clapped; Leticia and Soli taking it a step further and whooping loudly. Only Quil and Claire stood still, watching on in horror.

"This can't be happening," Quil hissed and Claire twirled, grabbing her husband's arm in support. Before tonight Quil had been entirely supportive of Amber and Solace's relationship, in fact he'd given them the okay to paint and redecorate their love den, so she had no clue what could have made him change his mind.

"What? What?" Claire whispered, clawing onto his arm.

"He imprinted."

"Huh?" Claire asked dumbly looking around for clue.

"On Maddox."

 _ **January 2nd 2032: The Confrontation**_

The imprint could not be confirmed in the weeks after Halloween, Solace exhibited no signs of interest in Maddox other than a few quick smiles. He did not coddle or swoon over her like past imprints had and he did not find it difficult to be away from her, in fact, unless Amber explicitly demanded his presence he didn't go to the Ateara house at all.

The only two indicators, which Quil had to search long and hard for, were his personalized Christmas gifts to her and a slight slip in his mind during a patrol Embry had been on. The presents: a pair of custom painted converse hightops and a Maddox team baseball tee. The slip up: a flashing image of her that fluttered for less than a second in the very back of his mind, and could only been seen past a barrier of sheer determination.

That was all Quil could find but he was sure, a hundred percent sure that he didn't misinterpret the look. He was certain, so very certain and he couldn't keep it to himself. He was sure that after a few days Solace would fess up, he would tell Amber and she would turn up on their doorstep devastated but it hadn't happened. They told Kim first, and she surprised them both by crying, sobbing for a full minute before she composed herself. Jared's reaction was equally surprising, he wasn't happy and he wasn't mad, he was just sad for his daughter and confused. How could Solace completely ignore the imprint? Jared didn't buy it. He didn't think that Quil was lying, he knew he wouldn't joke about something like that, but this was unprecedented and the best way to settle it was a meeting.

Mark, the long standing Alpha, set up the meeting: Solace, Kim, Jared and Taylor, with Claire and Quil. No one wanted to get Amber involved, though it was hard to separate the two.

"You imprinted," Quil didn't waste any time beating around the bush, this imprint affected his baby girl and he wasn't going to be able to sleep peacefully until he knew for sure.

"Yeah," Solace said dropping on the nearest empty seat without another word, Kim whimpered. She had been hoping, praying harder than she had in many years that it wasn't true. She had finally given in to their marriage, accepted the fact that they were in love and her baby girl was happy. She couldn't bear even the thought of her Amber going back down the black tunnel of depression she lived in before.

"What the fuck are you playing at Solace?" Jared screamed, Kim putting her hand across his chest to keep him in place on the couch.

"I don't know what you mean," he said calmly. "There is no reason for Amber or anyone else to know about it, I—"

"Solace… Are you still going to marry her?" Taylor asked evenly, sitting next to Mark near the door.

"Yes," Solace said equally as composed. "I love her and I made a promise."

"YOU IMPRINTED!" It was Kim's turn to scream, her hands shaking from the effort to keep herself from crying.

"I can't hurt her again. I can't," he whispered dropping his head to his hands. He had felt the imprint of course, he felt it now even as he sat here, the pull to her across town, Maddox's smell which soaked into every corner of this house and inscribed itself in his memory. Oranges and rain. It was the most encompassing smell in his life so that he couldn't fully enjoy the smell of any other women, not even his Amber.

Amber. They had been apart for just two hours and already his mind was betraying her.

"So what? My daughter—"

"I owe Amber and I still love her," Solace cut Claire off, stopping her at the beginning of a speech about her daughter which she had planned the night before. "I love her like nothing that I ever thought possible. There is nothing, biological or magical or otherwise that's gunna change that."

"Solace, brother, you don't know that now," Quil said, remembering clearly the different levels of devotion he had experienced with Claire. But then it wasn't the same situation because even while she was a child, the most adorable of toddlers, Quil couldn't see anyone else— not sexually—it just didn't happen for him.

"Quil, I get it. I get the compulsion to want to protect her and want to be near her, but life is more than just that," Solace said his eyes pleading with Mark to back him up.

"Solace, what happens when she hits puberty?" Mark asked objectively. He knew the power of natural love, the way it overtook every millimeter of your being and having been in his head, he knew without question Solace felt it for Amber, strongly, but he also knew from years of growing up with his parents and the other members of the pack that an imprint cannot be broken.

"I'm not a wolf, I'm not an animal, I'm a man. I have a commitment to her. I don't have a ring or a paper that says she's my wife, I don't need that… I'm hers, I gave myself to her and I can't break her again," he pleaded, trying to catch Kim's eye, she wouldn't look at him but Claire did. She was torn, Claire believed him and part of her was thrilled, touched and happy for Amber, but the other part of her—the mother in her—thought only of Maddox. She couldn't imagine one minute of her life without Quil, the possibility of him being with someone other than herself, he was hers, her imprint and Solace was Maddox's.

"And what about Maddox?" Quil asked, gripping Claire's hand firmly.

"She's perfect, but Amber was meant for me. I am not worthy of their love, neither of them but there is no one in the world who could love me the way Amber does. And I made a promise, I promised her," he said losing his unruffled demeanor as the faces around the table started to turn on him. He wasn't being selfish. He was being short sighted. He was following his heart and not his gut; and his broken mangled heart led to Amber the only woman who held it with such care.

"You're marrying me because of a stupid promise." Amber. She stormed in the house like a caramel tornado, wrapped in a cream colored cashmere coat, her signature sexy legs exposed despite the cold weather. She had been listening, not for the whole conversation but long enough to know, to hear her worst fear. Her Solace was not hers at all.

"Princess," he moaned.

This was not how he wanted her to find out. For the last three weeks he had been planning, plotting, outlining the different ways to tell her. She needed to know, of course she needed to know, and he wanted her to know, but he knew she would see it as the end and he couldn't stand the idea. He couldn't stand the idea of hurting Amber again or losing her would leave him floating into nothingness.

He was old. Older in spirit than body. He was tired. He was broken beyond compare. Even if there was no Amber, he was not what Maddox would need or want. He believed it so fully no one would be able to shake it. He had loved many women, starting with his own mother. Solace had given so many parts of himself to each of the different women that drifted in and out of his life but none of them truly loved him; not one, besides Amber.

Maybe he didn't deserve that love, he could live with that, but how could he bear, how can he withstand spending a decade at Maddox's side knowing very well she was not ever going to love him the way she was supposed to? Just minutes in her presence filled him with unimaginable peace and joy. One day like Leah and Leticia before her, Maddox would realize that there was someone better for her than him and then how could he live? How could he get out of bed everyday knowing the one person that was supposed to love him just didn't?

"Fuck! FUCK!" Amber screamed pulling at her hair frantically, Solace was at her side before Jared, Kim or Taylor who were rushing to get to her.

"No, Amber please, this isn't just about a promise this is about you. Listen to me, listen to me," he urged, holding her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him through eyelashes kissed with tears. "Amber I won't leave you, ever **ever** again. I'm here until you tell me to go. Amber… please, say something."

Tears. He hadn't cried, real fat tears like this since his mother died and even then they weren't this nauseating, this overpowering.

"Retire," she said simply as her carefully wiped away the grayish tinged tears that streamed from her mascara laced her eyelashes.

"What?" Solace and Kim both asked as Amber pulled him into a hug.

"Stop phasing, marry me and stop phasing, and take me away. Take me anywhere, back to Italy or to France or Switzerland, I don't care but we can't stay here," she cried.

"Okay," he nodded pulling her back so he could see her beautiful maroon flecked eyes and plump pink tinted lips.

"Okay?" She whimpered, releasing a new torrent of tears.

"Anything, anywhere, finish school and we're gone. I have money," he said simply.

"NO!" Jared and Claire cried in unison though for different reasons.

Jared had lost his boy, his Ethan had left because he had to, he understood and dealt with that, but as a father, as a man, he didn't think he could withstand the loss of another child. Claire would miss Amber, yes, she was her sister, her best friend, but this fear, this new rising fear was for Maddox. What kind of life could she live with the constant feeling that something was lacking?

"You're going to stop phasing, permanently and age? For her?" Kim asked, stepping forward to grab Solace's attention, he was lost, swimming in her eyes.

"Yes, it's…it's—I don't want to live without her. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Amber. I never want to hurt you ever again, trust me Princess, if I can help it, I never will," he promised, kissing her softly.

"You can't come back once she's grown, you know that, right?" Taylor asked standing shocked besides Mark. He knew well that one day, one day unexpectedly when he looked at his Melody, she wouldn't look the same. That he would never be able to think of her as a sister or a friend as he did now again. He couldn't imagine now, loving Melody with everything he had, what it would be like to love her as a wife, but he knew he would and he would have no say in it.

"I won't," Solace promised, his eyes still locked on her.

"You need to go to school, you can't just marry him and travel around the world like-like a hippie backpackers. College," Kim said, placing her hand softly on Amber's back.

"Okay," Amber nodded in consent.

"No! No! NO!" Jared pounded his foot like a child, before he collapsed back on the couch.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Amber whispered, kissing his cheek softly as she settled at his side. He was the only Cameron not on board with the plan.

"I can't believe this is happening," Jared sighed, pulling his daughter in a hug. With great trepidation Kim embraced Solace, the newest member of her family.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Packing Up the Minivan**

* * *

 **January 24th 2033: The Birth**

Claire checked into the hospital at 10 a.m. with Quil, her mother Jo, and her father George, leaving the girls with Leticia. Both Maddox and Harley loved it at the Call house. It was no secret that before she moved on to Taylor, Maddie was head over heels for Freddie, and Leticia, whose children didn't stay children for long, loved having any opportunity to dote on the girls.

Soledad loved it too. Little known fact about Soli: the part-time hard-ass and rocker, was also a part-time professional cuddler and her number one target was Harley Ateara. Harley, the younger of the two girls, had a spunk that Soli gravitated to and whenever her little Lee was in residence she would keep her close. It was because of Soli's interest in Harley that Randy treated her so well. Randy was a nice kid, raised to be polite and mindful which fit well with his naturally cheerful demeanor, but he was especially nice to Harley. Anything that Soli loved, he did too, that of course did not transfer to her many boyfriends, but Randy indulged her interest with the loyalty of an imprint, though at 13, he was far from turning wolf or imprinting at all for that matter.

When Soli picked up the bass guitar, Randy was the first, and, well only person outside her family, to attend the solo concerts she held in their backyard; he clapped the loudest.

When she wanted to experiment with kissing while she was still about the same physical age as Randy, he was all too willing; he has never forgotten his ninth birthday.

When she wanted to learn the art of hair cutting from her mother, Randy was her first paying client; he paid her his entire allowance of $14 dollars for a crooked bowl cut that gave his father Collin Littlesea weeks of entertainment.

When she first started smoking, he would hide them for her in his book bag; he was suspended for two days when his teacher found them, but it was all worth the full body hug she had given him for not ratting her out.

So while Claire and Quil were welcoming baby Addison into the world, Randy faithfully sat by Soli's side as she braided and primped the Harley's hair.

"Should I go or what?" Amber didn't bother with introductions. In the age of smartphones, greetings were all but obsolete. Besides Amber saw Soli as her second soulmate, and Soli should know who it was the second she answered and also exactly what Amber was talking about. That was the comfort of their friendship.

"Claro," Soli rolled her tongue. Randy loved when she spoke Spanish, he even learned a fair bit, enough to know she said 'of course,' though not what or who she was saying it to.

"Really? You don't think it'll be too weird."

"It'll be weird but she's family," Soli continued in English. "Besides you guys haven't made a public appearance since the pack chain spread the big news. Show off your engagement ring and hold your head high before people start moaning and putting in their two cents where it doesn't belong," Soli said scooting farther away from Randy, who had leaned in to listen.

"Emily already is… she's mad at me," Amber sighed, flipping her hand over to examine the ring Solace had bought her just a day before. It was platinum with a two carat square white diamond centerpiece and two triangle black stones on either side.

"Yeah, well, this cuts a little close to home, don't you think? If Sam had fought for Leah then she's be all alone," Soledad said bluntly.

"That's so mean," Amber said quickly watching Solace as he slept. He had been having a hard time retiring from the pack. It wasn't the pack he missed, he had left that patrol lifestyle a long time ago, it was the phasing he missed, and at night to keep from phasing, he would work out for hours until he was so tired he could collapse. Last night he had forgone traditional cardio for the carnal kind; he was still sleeping it off.

"I didn't say that _should_ have happened, then we wouldn't have a Mark, I'm just saying that's probably what bugs her about it," Soledad defended herself, resting her head on Randy's shoulder. He didn't move, staying entirely still as she leaned on him. When they were alone, sometimes she would hold his hand or lean on him, but if he said anything or moved or enjoyed it too much, like a spell it would be broken and she wouldn't do it again for a long time.

"Maybe I shouldn't—"

"Every situation is different, right, Randy?" She asked taking her head off his shoulder and looking into his big grey eyes.

He nodded and when it looked like she wanted more he added, "Yes, always different."

He had no idea what they were talking about, he'd only heard one side of the conversation but he'd agree with anything if it meant a happy Soli. Sometimes with his size, Soledad forgot how young he was, she forgot that she wasn't supposed to have lingering feelings for him, and she wasn't supposed to cuddle or ask his advice.

She stood quickly, shooing Maddox and Harley to the kitchen. While he loved to look at her, especially from the back—well, also especially from the front—Randy frowned from the sudden loss of Soli and he knew she wouldn't do that again for a long while. Maybe he was supposed to say no. Maybe he should have asked what he was saying yes to. Next time he would ask, he promised himself that.

"Will you come with me then?" Amber asked slipping, softly out of bed and tip-toeing to the closet.

"Yeah, Mama is bringing the girls over in an hour, Quil said they'd be good for visiting by then," Soli said as Randy moved towards her. He was going to hug her, she knew it—every time she got too comfortable and did something stupid like touch his arm or hold his hand, he would take it to mean something it couldn't and he would hug her. Today it was from behind, he pulled her in by the waist and she didn't struggle letting his arms wrap entirely around.

If she closed her eyes, inhaling his sweet untainted scent, she could imagine he was a man, her soulmate even—a rich socialite who would sweep her away from this dump and show her the world her mother always talked about. But he wasn't—he wasn't her soulmate and he wasn't a man, just a silly boy, something she had to remind herself more and more of as he hit puberty and his smell became more appealing.

Addison Fynn Ateara was born in the mid-afternoon hours, a week past his due date through medically induced labor. It was quick, though not painless, and he came into the world with a powerful wail heard all down the corridor. Like all the children before and all the children after, the pack came in droves to greet the little man but this time the baby wasn't the only attraction. Solace and Amber standing hand in hand in the waiting room was just as big of a sight to see.

Before the imprint, people tried their best to not stare, to treat it like a normal run of the mill romance, but now all bets were off. David could barely stop himself from doing double takes looking comically between Solace who held onto Amber and Maddox, who sat at the other end of the waiting area. She was dressed in her best: a robin's egg blue with white details that Leticia bought for her. Maddox didn't like to wait and she impatiently kicked her little legs, throwing not so subtle looks in Solace's direction, he pretended he didn't notice but everyone else did.

She was curious about him, like most five-year olds would be. He hadn't been here long but everyone seemed to think something different of him. Her Daddy liked Solace and her Mommy didn't. Her Auntie Amber loved him though, so he couldn't be bad then, could he? He was cute, cuter than Taylor but when she told her Mommy that, she got sad and cried a little so she made sure not to repeat it. He was nice too, he had gotten her cute shoes in her favorite color that said her name right on it and once, when she fell, he rushed to her like her Daddy did to make sure she was okay. Maddox liked him, about as much as any five-year old could like a stranger but since everyone else seemed to be glaring at him she kept that to herself.

Maddox and Harley were the first to be let in and when the nurse said three at a time she ran back to her Amber, grabbing her hand and pulling her from Solace's side. They entered the room together, greeting Addison hand in hand as they had with Harley.

 **June 29th 2033: The Wedding**

Claire didn't protest Amber and Solace's wedding once; she went along with it like a big sister should. Claire used her artistic eye to create stunning centerpieces for the tables and to draw out intricate designs for the set up of the barn they would be married in. It was way outside of La Push, the main building in a small dairy family barn cum church, cum boutique, cum empty space Solace found while driving throughout the state. It was a little run down but when Amber saw the place she had to have it and Solace was in the habit of getting her everything she wanted. He bought the land from the county, it hadn't been in use for over a decade and there weren't exactly one day rentals.

Claire and Leah planned her bachelorette night and convinced every wolf girl to attend. They also accompanied her to all the bridal shops in Seattle, until a stop at 103rd Avenue proved to be a winner with a vintage Vera Wang dress. It was beautiful, long and flowing with a simple silver and blue flower design at the bodice. The dress went well with the veil, the only thing Solace's mother contributed to the ceremony. She had passed years before but Solace kept the veil that she stored in her closet behind boxes of church memorabilia and moth-bitten clothes.

It was a simple veil, slightly yellowed until Amber had it dry cleaned, twice. The long veil had been worn by his grandmother in the 1960s, and it was the only request he made for the ceremony. Money was not at an issue, he had said it more than once and he proved it not only by buying the barn but with the engagement ring he presented her with. The ring was his extravagant way of showing his love.

As a child he didn't really have much in the way of money, but as an adult he had been more than fortunate, first with his eBay hardware business, then with the hardware store that sold for millions, then later as the head of strategy and defense at Volterra. He was housed there, provided with food and luxuries he never enjoyed before, all while being paid a handsome wage. He wasn't the type to think about rings and marriage but as a child she would plan their wedding all the time and now that it was real he didn't want to disappoint.

With baby Addison in the picture, Amber came around more often. She had settled the uncomfortable feeling of jealousy over Maddox and was accepted back into the fold of the Ateara family alongside Solace. Quil and Claire had talked and talked and talked the situation in circles and this is what they came up with: if an imprinter doesn't embrace their imprint, they cannot and should not be forced.

Amber was happy and if they loved her then they should be to. Maddox was in the unique position that she did not know and would never know about her imprint, so they were going to keep Amber close for as long as possible, because once she married Solace, she would be gone, and it was doubtful she'd come back.

Amber's graduation came and went and with her wedding so close around the corner, it was kind of overshadowed. She chose to make it small, the ceremony performed by an ancient Catholic priest that knew Solace's mom well, Solace, his best man Phil, Amber and her maid of honor Soledad. Everyone came, imprinted or not, supportive or horrified.

The Ateara's sat in the row behind the rest of the Cameron's. Ethan had returned by Solace's request, much to the surprise of the entire pack. He came alone, though from the fresh scent of familiar vamp on him, Quil noted there were enforcements nearby: Carlisle and Jasper. He was dressed in a suit that clearly read money and he sat between Taylor and his mother in the front, far away from the Uleys and the Lahotes.

Amber waited for her cue in the back so she couldn't see him, but she knew from the rented sports car manned by a stunning vampire that he was there. Claire and Quil both embraced Ethan warmly, introducing the lost wolf to their family.

"He's cute!" Maddie whispered, a five year old whisper that you didn't have to be a wolf to hear. Ethan's profile lit up warmly as he smiled, his brother and mother on either side of him equally enthused.

"He's taken," Claire whispered with a wink to Ethan who had his head tilted in a way that he could see the two from the corner of his eye.

"Why are they all taken?" Maddie huffed, crossing her little arms in front of her. It took the smile off of everyone around them.

Soledad and Phil walked down the aisle together arm in arm, it made Randy who sat at the end of the aisle inexplicably jealous, his blood boiled, his temperature rising uncomfortably. Solace soon followed, Maddox straining her little neck to see around her father. She sat between Harley and her dad, her mother on Harley's left cradling her sleeping infant brother. He was a quiet baby, a first in the Ateara household, both of their girls were rather vocal. Quil leaned down and kissed the top of her head and when he looked at Claire sadly watching on he kissed her again.

The music started before Amber appeared it was soft and subtle in the background drowned out by the sound of scraping chairs and the shifting of the guests as they stood to mark her entrance.

"So beautiful," Maddox squealed hopping a bit and standing on her seat to get a better look as Jared walked her down the aisle. He was tearing, his eyes completely focused on her as they walked towards Solace. She was stunning glowing in the way she always did when Solace looked at her, though he was not the only one looking at her now. Jared let her go a tad reluctantly, pulling back her veil to kiss her on both cheeks before he stepped back, Ethan moving down to make room for him.

The priest began, and Maddox turned to Claire, leaning across Harley to whisper. "What does gathered mean?" She asked in earnest.

"It means to come together, like a meeting," Claire whispered, eyeing Quil, he grabbed little Maddie's hand and called her attention to the ceremony. Harley, bored and uncomfortable in her new dress, began to fidget about twenty minutes into the long ceremony. She tossed and turned in her seat, until Anna came in for the save passing her a lollipop from her bag.

"Thanks," Claire breathed, placing her arm around the back of Harley's chair as she sucked on her new cherry flavored tootsie pop.

"What does asunder mean?" Maddox asked, looking up to Quil for answers.

"It means to break, to tear apart," Quil whispered indulgently.

Amber and Solace prepared their own vows, they were short, romantic and heart wrenching for Claire, who couldn't shake the feeling that this whole thing was wrong. When they kissed their first kiss as husband and wife, the crowd applauded dutifully and everyone, lovers and naysayers alike congratulated them, giving them hugs and kisses before heading to the reception.

Ethan stayed only for one dance which he savored with his sister who cried softly on his shoulder until the song was over. He slipped out the back with Carlisle and Jasper who both embraced Solace before they left, leaving a pile of gifts from the Cullens and the other vampires in Volterra. As they left, trying to subtlety fade into the background, a new wolf was born; Randy Littlesea the youngest werewolf in pack history burst out of his suit, tackling Phil as he attempted to dance with Soli.

Harley screamed, climbing up her father in horror and that was their cue to leave. The Ateara's said their final congrats as a family, giving a last round of hugs before the packed up their minivan and called it a night.

FIN

A/N: The second half of this story was really the jumping off point three other fics:

The Wonderful World of Cupcake and her Wolf (a fluff piece about Kim's daughter Annabelle and her Brady)

My absolute favorite fic 100 Years of Solitude... Okay Maybe Just 5 (which is Soledad Call and Randy Littlesea's story.)

Across the Universe (Ethan Cameron and Elena Black's story)

I will be posting them all in that order


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